


Lost in Translation

by Mari_and_Su



Category: Fushigi Yuugi
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Original Character(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 48
Words: 89,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1901718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mari_and_Su/pseuds/Mari_and_Su
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mari and Su go to China, and find out what happens when a familiar story turns out to be anything but. A  re-imagining of the world of Fushigi Yuugi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How Two Bakas Bail into a Book and Bring About Bedlam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Be careful what you read!

It had all started moments before the final bell. Su's eyes had locked on the tome as her brain stuttered to a stop in its usual calamity of thought and imagination. She'd been in the very back of the stacks, perusing the dusty volumes there as her brain tripped along on the project she'd been assigned in her sophomore history class. Puzzling out the intricacies of feudal China, she almost missed the title singing out to her from the shelves.  _The World Ruled by Multiple Gods._

It couldn't be. Her mind refused to believe the book before her could possible exist. But here it was now, in her hands and smearing dust onto her sleeves as she strolled through the hallways of her high school, searching out her friend in the mess of prep-school bimbos and jocks. Mari would probably never believe what she had found, but Su sought her out all the same.

"Mari! MARI!" Su flung herself headlong down the hallway, eager energy seizing her as she spotted her friend. Mari heard Su coming long before she saw her, lifting her head just in time to watch her friend come careening down the hall. She slid to the side, making room against the row of lockers so Su could crash down beside her, the girl's face the picture of manic joy.

"What's got you so excited?" Mari drawled, flipping her textbook closed. From the look on her face, whatever Su had to tell her much was bound to be more interesting than her math homework.

"You're never going to believe this!" Su all but exploded, thrusting the book into Mari's face. "I found it in the library, of all places!"

"What is it?" Mari took the book, moving it a reasonable distance from her face so that she could actually read the cover. She decided it was probably best to hold her tongue on the probability of finding a book in the library.

"Read it! Read it!" Su bounced up and down, eyes flicking between Mari and the book. Mari sighed, rolling her eyes at her friend before scanning the title once more, wondering what she was missing.

" _The World Ruled By Multiple Gods_." Mari read the title aloud. "What is this for, world religions or something?" She handed the book back to Su, shrugging casually as she waited for Su to fill in the missing point.

"No!" Su protested. " _The World Ruled By Multiple Gods_! What does that sound like to you?" she pushed, waiting for the realization to dawn on Mari, and deflating as she only received a blank stare in return. "C'mon, Mari! The world, let's say... universe, instead? Ruled by multiple gods? Like, four of them?"

"You're kidding, right?" Mari's face broke into a grin as she took the book back, turning it over in her hands. "What is it, a fan novel?" Moving to crack the cover, she yelped as Su smacked her hand. "Hey!"

"Don't open it!" Su warned, eyes wide. Mari snorted inelegantly, handing the book back.

"Su..." Mari sighed, looking at her friend. "It's just a book." Su trailed her fingers over the cover, looking at it longingly before giving a huge sigh.

"I know, I know." Her face grew a bit sad as she looked back up at Mari. "I guess I just let my imagination run away with me, you know?" She leaned back against the lockers, closing her eyes. "The school year is almost done, and with you going away to college in the fall... I guess an adventure just seemed nice. Even if it was only imagined." Mari smiled softly, looping her arm over Su's shoulder and pulling the girl into a hug.

"Tell you what? Take it home and read it tonight. Let me know if that thing is worth reading when you're done with it." Su nodded, forcing a smile to her lips. "Besides, I can't blame you. Running away to ancient China seems like a much better alternative to deciding what I want to do with the rest of my life." Mari hopped to her feet, offering Su a hand and hoisting the girl up.

"See you tomorrow?" Su asked, tucking the book into her bag.

"You bet." Mari gave her a wave, turning to leave as the school day ended, dreading the mountain of homework waiting for her when she got home.

* * *

Her mother was late again. Su fell to sit on the sidewalk with a sigh, eyes drifting to the bag slumped at her side. She had wanted to wait until she was at home, alone in the quiet of her room with no interruptions to the story, but... Her mouth twisted with an excited grin as she pulled the antiquated tome from her bag, placing it across her knees and taking in the smell of the ancient paper as she ran her fingers over the cover, heart quickening in her chest.

"Here goes nothing." Su cracked open the cover, fingers plying the thin pages open somewhere near the center. Her eyes had just focused on the illustration that spanned the pages when a flash of bright red light enveloped her, the gasp on her lips going unheard as the book tumbled from her lap to fall shut beneath a nearby bush.

* * *

 

_Music: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Emilie Autumn_


	2. Embrace the Inner Baka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Su wakes up in a strange place

Mari struggled with her homework, her overworked brain protesting the calculations and equations. "You're almost there. Just a few more months and–" Her thoughts were suddenly cut off by her father's voice calling up from downstairs.

"Mari! Phone call!" Mari pushed her work away, chuckling at what she was sure was going to be an excited call from Su, filled with squeals and shrieks about her new book. The girl had probably found a drawing that proved the truth behind the characters or some detail in the story they had previously not known.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end wasn't Su's, but the girl's mother.

"Hello? Mari? Have you seen Su?" The woman's voice was bordering on frantic as she spoke on the other end of the line.

"Uh, no. I haven't seen her since school got out."

"She wasn't at school when I got there. Her bag was sitting on the sidewalk out front. You're sure she's not with you? I won't be mad! Did you drop her off somewhere, maybe?"

"No. I'm sorry. If I hear anything I'll let you know, ok?"

"Ok. Thank you, Mari." Mari did her best to calm the nervous woman, anxiety growing in her own chest as she hung up the phone. Su would never leave her bag behind on the sidewalk. Especially not if...  _No._  Mari shook her head at the ridiculous thought, snorting to herself.  _You're getting as bad as Su with these thoughts._ A sudden, sharp groan cut through her thoughts, Mari twisting in her chair to find the source of the sound. It came again, a muted moan of pain, followed by a soft curse. "Hello?"

_Mae?_

"Su?!" Mari threw open her closet doors, looked under her bed, even flipped up the duvet. The voice was here, but the girl wasn't. "Where are you? Your mother is going crazy looking for you."

 _Oh god_. The voice came again as Mari spun in place, blinking, convinced her mind was playing tricks on her.  _You are never going to believe this._

* * *

Su cowered in a small alleyway, watching the strange people move through the streets as her friend's voice echoed through her head.

_Believe what? Su, your mom is looking for you, she's really worried. Where are you?_

"Mae, I... think I'm in Konan."

 _Oh, you have_ got  _to be kidding me! Was this what that whole thing at school was about? So you could play a joke on me?_  Su could hear the edge of tension in her friend's voice, wincing under the accusation. _Very funny, you got me. Now come out!_

"Mari, I'm not joking!" Su pressed, her voice growing watery with tears. A few passers-by peered into the alley at her outburst, looking for the source before shaking their heads and walking away again.

 _No... no way. There is no way!_  Mari sputtered in her mind.  _It was just a book!_  Even as she objected, Mari's mind flooded with images of the strange city.  _How are you in my head?_

"I dunno. Maybe it's like Miaka and Yui's uniforms? Something is keeping us connected." Su offered quietly. Worlds away, Mari looked down at herself, wondering what could be linking them together. Her hands rummaged through pockets and over her clothing until her fingertips rested on the string of glass beads around her neck. The odd twin in the set Su had made them both. Small mirrors of the ones their favorite characters in the story had worn, a private joke between the two girls. Su heard Mari's realization in the garbled chaos of her friend's mind, clutching to her own necklace. "I made them together... with the same beads. The same thread."

_This... this is impossible. This can't be happening!_

"I was going to wait until I got home." Su whispered. "Mom was late, and I got bored. I didn't think anything of it, just flipped it open to the middle. But then there was a flash of light. I thought someone had hit me on the head or something, and then I woke up here." There was a pause as Su sought for the right words. "Mari, I'm scared." She couldn't bite back the tears anymore as she looked out onto the alien landscape. The city was so strange but so familiar at the same time, teeming with people and intricate details she never had imagined. Trying to tempt her out of safety with the spark of beauty and adventure.

 _Are you safe for now?_  Mari's voice was tinged with worry.

"I'm in an alley." She could hear Mari snort her surprise.

_Get out of the alley. Find a cop or, I dunno, a guard? Someone important looking. Ask for help and sit tight._

"What are you going to do?" Su sniffled, choking back the tears falling down her face. She scrubbed them away with the sleeve of her shirt, looking at the familiar garment and realizing how strange she would look when she stepped out of her protective shadows.

_Do you still have the book?_

"No. I think I dropped it on the sidewalk in front of the school." Su retraced what she could remember. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did." Mari heaved a sigh, the sound rattling through her head.

_Stay safe. I'll figure out something. Just wait for me, ok?_

"Hurry!"

"Where are you going?" Mari's mother called to her as she raced down the stairs, grabbing her keys from the bowl by the door and she yanked it open. Mari stilled, telling the first lie that came to her.

"I, uh, left a book I need at school." she explained with a shrug.

"Isn't the school closed for the day?"

"I had a friend grab it for me. I'm just going to go pick it up. I shouldn't be long." This seemed enough to placate her mother, and the woman turned back to the television.

"Be home in time for dinner."

"Right." Mari ran out the door, trying her best not to slam it behind her as she ran for her car, keying the engine to life as she raced for the school. Su's thoughts chattered through her mind as she drove; little disjointed things fluttering through the back of Mae's panicked brain. Su's fear as she stepped out of her safe hiding space. As the people looked at her. Discomfort at feeling out-of-place. Her insecurity as she realized she had no idea who would be right to ask for help. "The ones with armor. Look for a seal or something. Something to denote their ranks. If you are actually in Konan, it should be a phoenix." Mari suggested, almost chuckling at the ridiculous nature of the statement. Giving advice to a girl lost in feudal China, just your average Wednesday.

 _Right._  Su's thoughts ordered themselves somewhat .  _I can see a really big building in the center of the city. I think it might be the palace._

"Then try near there. There should be someone around that area. Just be careful." The chatter resumed, arranging itself into something that was almost a chant as Su assured herself over and over that she could do this. That there was nothing to be afraid of. That her friend was coming to help her. Mari pulled her car into the parking lot, having a enough presence of mind to actually park it in a marked spot before jumping out, the engine still running. She scoured the sidewalk, looking for any clue on the bare pavement. "Where were you sitting?"

_What?_

"On the sidewalk? Where were you sitting?"

 _On the end, near the bushes._ Mari took off running, sliding to a stop at the large row of bushes that blocked the school from the view of the road, finding the sidewalk empty here as well. She fell to her stomach, peering into the shadows under the greenery in the dying light. Her hand stretched out, groping blindly until it landed on something that didn't feel like dirt or roots.

"Got it!" She dusted off the cover, tucking it under her arm as she returned to her car, closing the door and flipping on the light as the day fell away into night. "Now what?"

_I just opened it to the middle._

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Mari sighed, placing the book against the steering wheel as she opened the book to the first page. " _The Universe Ruled by Multiple Gods_. Well, that's useless." Mari flipped the page, eyes scanning the next page for a clue, a hint, a flash of light. Anything that would help her find Su. She read the words aloud, tracing them with her finger as they left her lips. "This story is about a woman who reached her dreams by coming to collect all the stars of the Beast God. She gained the powers of a god, and was gifted all that she desired. The tome before you is a spell in itself. The one who reads it will join the woman in the story, blessed with the powers of a true warrior of the Beast God, and given a wish. And the story begins with the turning of the first page. Huh, that's not how I remember it." Mari sighed, waiting for something, anything, to happen. She licked a finger tip, turning the page to read the next one, hoping that this one would have an answer for her instead. She was halfway through the first paragraph when a blue light flashed in her eyes, blinding her as the world went dark.

* * *

_Music: Enter Sandman - Apocalyptica_


	3. One Flew Over Suzaku's Nest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Su's in da slammer!

 

Su was creeping toward the middle of the bustling market when the sound, the feeling, of Mari fled from her mind. One minute the dim murmur of her thoughts were a soft comfort, and the next there was nothing. Her friend was gone. The calm that the connection to Mae had brought Su disappeared in an instant, nausea rolling in her stomach as her mind whirled, searching for the voice.

"Mae?" she whispered, her feet halting her in the middle of the busy foot traffic. "Mari?" her voice escalated, cracking shrill and drawing annoyed stares from passersby that had already been distracted by the strangely dressed foreigner in their midst. "Mari!" Where had her friend gone? What was happening? What did she do in this strange land?

Su's vision went white at the corners as the panic took over, her hands shuddering uncontrollably as she clutched at the front of her shirt. A thin whimper left her mouth as she whipped her head around, searching for any sign of someone official looking, some sign of a person who might be able to help her. The palace loomed overhead, steeling her resolve. Mari was right, she had to get to the palace. Su broke into a run, roughly forcing her way through the thick crowd, voices rising angrily as she trod on feet, desperate to get to the huge building that loomed at the edge of the market.

"HALT!" The harsh voice rang out behind Su, pulling her to a stop. Whipping her head around, she spied the source of the voice easily, the burly armored men parting the crowd as they jogged toward her. Relief poured through her as the guards drew close.

"Oh, thank god, I was-"

"What do you think you're doing, causing a ruckus like that?" one of the guards snapped, grabbing her and shaking her roughly by the shoulder. "What are you running from, girl?"

"No, wait! I was trying to get to the palace to–" 

"What business have you there?" he cut her off with a scornful huff.

"I..." Su paused, head still reeling. "I'm looking for my friend. I lost her, I don't–"

"You're lying." he growled back, a sneer splitting his face. "We'd know if there were two foreign women running around. Where are you from? Who sent you?" 

 _The future? A book? What do I tell him to convince him to get me in there?_  Su thought desperately, shaking her head helplessly under the mans angry gaze. "I... I know the Priestess of Suzaku." she blurted out, watching as the man's eyes widened in surprise. The tell-tale moment passed too quickly, his face turning hard and unforgiving once more.

"You're coming with us, girl." He dragged her in the direction of the palace, the watching crowd parting for the foreign girl and her unasked for retinue. The man kept a firm grip on her shoulder as he pulled her through the gates. Her eyes darted over the familiar architecture, heart hammering in her chest as they approached the building that shone bright against the dark night sky.

"Where are we going?" Su tugged against the man's tight grip as he took an unexpected detour from the main entrance. "Where are you taking me?" The man snorted with disdain.

"We're taking you where we take all threats to Konan, the dungeon. The men there will find out what you're after, I can guarantee that." Su shrieked in protest, fiercely tugging against the man's rough hands as his backup fell into fighting stances around them.

"Let me go! I need to talk to the Priestess! I need to find Mari!" Su struggled with the man as he knocked her legs from under her, continuing on to the dungeons with her dragging behind. She tried to stand and fight, but it was no use. They descended into the depths of the palace, the heavy door slamming shut on her screams.

* * *

The palm landed soundly against her face, pulling another panicked sob from her throat as she huddled further against the wall, arms coming up to protect her face from the next blow. "Please! I need to speak to the Priestess of Suzaku. She'll know. She'll understand. Tell her I read the book, please?" Su had been begging the guards for hours. She couldn't tell the time in this dark, dirty room of revolving jailers. Men came and went, their tactics changing, but the question always remaining the same.

Where had she come from?

The man now was the first to use his hands. He'd slapped her around for the most part, but now he seized her protective arms, dragging her to her feet as he shook her soundly before his hand flew back once more. "Did they send you? The Seiryuu? Kutou?"

"No! Please, I need to-" His hand cut her off, Su's ears ringing with the blow as she tasted blood, feeling the warmth roll down her chin. "Mari!" But Mari didn't answer, the reassuring weight of her presence still absent from Su's mind. The guard threw the her to the ground in disgust, kicking dust from the hard-packed floor into her face.

"This is only going to get worse for you. Whatever the Seiryuu told you, this isn't worth it. We'll make you talk, sooner or later." He shook his head as he walked from the cell. "Sooner would be better for you." Su lay on the ground, sobbing quietly into the grime beneath her cheek, barely enough time passing for her to comprehend his words before the next man came in, louder and rougher.

It would only get worse.

* * *

_Music: Youth Without Youth - Metric_


	4. Some Like it Sairo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari and Su get some visitors

Mari's eyes shot open, pupils flaring with pain in the bright light of the room. She flung a heavy arm over her eyes as her waking brain raced with disjointed thoughts. Where was she? What had happened? One minute she was in her car, then ... Su! That damn book she had found in the library. Mari stretched out, seeking the tendrils of the girl's subconscious, but where her friend's thoughts had once been, nothing remained except an echoing darkness.

"Tokaki! Quickly, I think she's awake." A woman's voice hissed out beside her, and Mari snapped back to reality. She realized for the first time that she was wrapped in a silk robe, tucked into cozy blankets as she reclined on soft, cool pillows. She struggled up from her prone position, eyes flying to the woman seated quietly at her bedside.

"Who are you?"

"Ah! You _are_ awake." the woman smiled warmly at the girl. "You gave us quite the scare!" She turned back to the door as an elderly man walked in, a small tray in his hands. "She is awake, Tokaki!"

"Great! Now I can see what that pretty face was doing falling into our crummy little town." He winked at her as he approached the bed.

"Where am I? Who are you? What's going on?!" Mari couldn't help the quick succession of questions, thoughts flying through her overtaxed mind and tumbling from her mouth before she could order them.

"One thing at a time, dear." the white-haired woman said gently. "I'm Subaru, and this is Tokaki–"

"The Byakko warriors?" Mari's blurted out in shock. "I'm in Sairo?!" Subaru sat back, blinking at Mari as Tokaki came to her side, resting the tray on a small table beside the bed.

"You know us, girl?" Tokaki's eyes narrowed as he stepped protectively toward Subaru, his hand curling over her shoulder. Mari cringed, wondering what she should tell them. What she could tell them so they would believe her.

"This is going to sound a little strange. I... I found this book." she tried to explain, wincing at how stupid she sounded, even to her own ears.

"Just like Suzuno." Subaru whispered quietly.

"Yes." Mari nodded. "Except I don't think I'm supposed to be here. The new priestesses already are, I think. My friend, Su, she's in Konan. I just need to find her. We're not supposed to be here." Tokaki made a small noise in the back of his throat before opening his mouth to speak.

"Konan's a long way from here, dear. You'd-"

"Mari." she cut him off sharply.

"What?" Tokaki blinked at her as she interrupted him, sputtering to a stop.

"My name is Mari. Not 'dear'." She looked at him, her eyes fierce. "I just want to find my friend and go home." Mari sniffed back the tears that were threatening to fall, trying to look as dignified as she could bundled up like an invalid in a strange bed. Subaru took pity on her, patting her hand as she handed her a cup of tea.

"Of course it is, Mari. Don't mind my husband. He's never had much tact." Tokaki snorted as Mari took a sip of the tea, the warm liquid easing her nerves as a calm spiraled through her. She eagerly gulped down the rest as she suddenly realized how thirsty she was.

"Thank you." Mari murmured, her eyes growing heavy without any warning. "I'm sorry. I feel a bit strange. I'm just so... so tired." She yawned into her hand, leaning back into the pillows as she let her eyes fall closed, the cup of tea clattering on the floor as her hand fell limp to her side.

"I was afraid this might be the case." Subaru sighed, collecting Mari's forgotten cup from the floor and sniffing at it. "I think you might have overdid it a bit, my love." she scowled at the man, placing the cup neatly back on the tray. He only shrugged at her.

"She'll be fine. It was only a sleeping draught. Can't have her running off into the desert getting herself killed. Strange girl like that would kick up all sorts of trouble."

"Tokaki, what should we do with her?" Subaru looked at her husband, uncertainty in her eyes. "Should we send word to Tatara?" He chewed on his thumbnail thoughtfully, weighing their options.

"Perhaps. He has a keen eye and a good manner for this sort of thing." He crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall as a tired sigh escaped him. "I don't know. we fought our war already, Subaru. Years ago. Our time is done. I say if the young lady wants to go to Konan, then to Konan she should go."

* * *

_Mari slept, her drugged sleep dark and dreamless. In the corners of her mind she could feel a great beast curling around her, its claws clattering as it closed in on her, scales making icy sounds as they scraped across the ground under its great weight._

_"Who's there?" she cried out desperately, turning to find her stalker though she could see nothing but black. "What do you want?" The slithering stopped, a soft, heavy chuckle slicing through the dark and tickling her ears._

"That is no way to speak to your Lord." _The voice wound around her, stern, but amused._ "Come, girl, show me the respect I am owed." _Mari felt a great weight bear down on her shoulders, pushing her to her knees roughly, her hands rushing forward to break her fall and leaving her prostrate in the dark._ "Ahhhhh, yes. Much better, my child."

_"Who are you?" she cried out, struggling to stand and finding herself pinned under an invisible weight._

"Ha!" _it laughed at her, cold and detached._ "You know so much, and yet you do not know that? Foolish girl. You know who I am."

_"Seiryuu?" The word fell like a weight from her lips._

"Yes." _the Beast God hissed his pleasure._ "I am He. And you… you are mine."

_"No." Mari gasped. "No, no please! I am not supposed to be here! Just let me find my friend and leave. I don't want any part in your war!" she pleaded with him in the dark, fingernails scratching against the cold ground. "Please! It's dark, and I'm scared. Just let me go!"_

"Hush, girl! You see fit to tell me what your purpose is?" _he roared, the sound deafening as it rang through her head._ "My designs are my own, and you would do well to cooperate and be grateful. I have given you a great gift. A gift you will come to me and collect, because I wish it to be so."

_"Please..." Mari gasped, pleading with the last of her strength in the darkness, her forehead pressed to the cold ground. "Please leave me." She could feel him hiss his rage at her. Feel his icy breath on the back of her neck as she lay there, head bowed._

"You will come to me child. In my realm, not this wasted land, guarded by its prowling feline lord." _His cold laugh rang once more in the dark, drawing goose-flesh from her skin._ "Deny me if you wish. You may try, but you will find that you can achieve no peace until you do. You will come to me, and I shall make you glorious." _He roared, triumphant, shaking the ground under her with his passing as he left her alone and shivering in the dark. She collapsed to the ground, eyes falling closed in both fear and relief as the great weight was lifted. She felt herself drifting back into unconsciousness, only one thought left on her mind, burning like a parched man's desire for water._

_"Kutou. I must... I must go to Kutou."_

* * *

To the south of where Mari lay in drugged sleep, Su took her own rest, curled on the floor of her cell, dirt and pain forgotten as her exhaustion became more than she could bear. Her dreams were plagued by harsh voices and rough hands that tried to pull answers from her when the ones she gave them weren't what they had wanted to hear. No matter how many truths she told them they beat her. Tore the cloth from her body and left her bruised, naked, and trembling. Bleeding out onto the cold earth as it drank the blood that ran from her skin. Left her alone in the dark, weeping and crying out for Mari, the girl's voice just a memory in the back of her mind.

"Hush now, my girl." _The hand on the back of her head startled her, a gasp falling from her lips as the fingers gently threaded through her hair, smoothing it away from her face._ "You are dreaming. Find peace here, in this moment. You are safe. I will keep the dreams away." _A warmth radiated from those fingers, feather light on her hair. She could feel the silken robes beneath her cheek where it was pillowed in his lap. Her pain slipped away from her, the cold leaving her body._

_"Suzaku." she breathed quietly, letting the last of her aches leave with the breath. He laughed softly, the sound vibrating in his chest._

"Yes." _She could hear the smile on his lips._ "I am sorry, my child. My people are frightened. Perched on the brink of war. They do not always think through their actions as they should. You should never have been handled in this manner." _She only hummed a sound of understanding at him, the feeling of fingers stroking her hair making her eyes grow heavy._ "They will not touch you so again. I shall see to it. I wish to give you a gift, if you will let me." _Su pulled herself back to wakefulness, her eyes fluttering open. She dared not look at his face, but she nodded quietly, letting her eyes fall onto the lavish silks that draped over his knees instead, her fingers touching the folds that pooled on the floor around him._

_"I am grateful, but I don't think I am the one you wanted to give it to." she whispered softly, frightened despite Suzaku's comforting presence. "I'm not supposed to be here."_

"Ahhh," _he sighed softly,_ "I see. Nevertheless, I still wish it, should you want it." _He soothed her gently like a small child, banishing the monsters and doubts with his quiet voice._

_"Ok." she nodded. "If it's what you want."_

"It is." _She felt a heat seep into her, white-hot, though it did not burn her. Running through her veins as it spiralled to her heart, beating in time with her pulse. She gasped under the weight of it, the wild intensity unexpected._ "Let this keep you safe as you walk this world and do the work you are meant to." _She felt him pulling away from her, lifting her to her knees as he slipped away, taking his light away as the blackness seeped back._

_"But what am I supposed to do? Please! Don't leave me!" His face hovered on the edge of the darkness, smiling at her, radiant in its beauty._

"I am sorry, my child. But you must wake now." _He disappeared, drifting from her vision, leaving her alone again, enveloped in darkness once more._

"I said wake up!" Su's eyes flew open to see a booted foot fly toward her face. Closing her eyes again, she braced herself for the cruel impact that never came. Red bloomed across her vision as a cry ripped from the man, his voice cracking as a great crash rang in her ears. When she opened her eyes again, he lay crumpled against the opposite wall of her cell. The two guards in the hall gaped at her, one running from his post to check on the unconscious man, his eyes darting between her and his fallen brother. Su scrambled up against the wall, her hands flying to her mouth in shock, eyes wide.

"He's alive." he growled. "Just hit his head." He looked over to Su again, face stuck somewhere between fear and anger. "Get the emperor."

"What?" the guard still in the hall sputtered his surprise at his comrade. "But she-"

"Get him!" he barked, getting to his feet and leveling his spear at Su. "NOW!" Su squeaked nervously as he advanced on her, a faint red glow emanating from her skin as he grew closer. "He needs to see this."

* * *

_Music: How the Gods Kill - Danzig_


	5. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Suzaku Seven

Mari struggled to swim up from the depth of her dreams, needing all of her strength to force her heavy eyelids open. When she managed to part them, an unfamiliar ceiling greeted her, cast in the soft glow of the late afternoon as long, trailing shadows criss-crossed it in the golden light. Her mind spun a curious web from her dream as voices whispered nearby, her name drifting in to her on a breeze. She shook her head, scattering the cobwebs as she struggled to sit up.

"Here, Mari, let me help you with that." Subaru was at her side again, the old woman helping her sit up and settle into the thick pillows behind her.

"What happened?" Mari frowned, her mind still hazy from the effects of the potion. "Did... did you drug me?" she demanded. Subaru sighed, settling back into the chair by Mari's bedside.

"I'm afraid Tokaki did, Mari. He felt it best to take certain... precautions. To ensure your safety, of course."

"Of course..." Mari frowned at the woman, eyes drifting away from her to take in the change of scenery. "Did you move me while I was sleeping?"

"Why, yes dear. We thought it for the best." Subaru leaned forward, patting Mari on the knee, a small smile lighting her face once more. "You see, when you mentioned you had come here after a friend we thought it might be wise to-" The door to the small room opened suddenly, cutting Subaru off as a small group entered. Mari felt a small anxiety bloom in her heart as her eyes leapt from face to familiar face. Hotohori. Tasuki. Chichiri. Tamahome. She knew them immediately, even though she had never met them.

They had brought her to Konan. The heart of the phoenix. The center of the fire. The words the dragon god had imparted echoed through her head. As much as she wanted to see Su, ensure her friend's safety, the summons she had received changed everything. This was the worst place for a girl haunted by Seiryuu. She could feel the call to Kutou rumbling in her bones even now, setting her teeth and nerves on edge.

"Lady Subaru." Hotohori nodded to the older woman as she rose to bow to the young emperor. "Thank you for keeping an eye on our guest."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Tokaki and I are happy to help the children of Suzaku. If you no longer need us, we will take our leave now." As the emperor nodded his consent, Subaru took the young man's hands in her own, bowing her forehead to the slender fingers. "I hope your journey is not a cruel one." She cast Mari one last small smile. "Best of luck, Mari. I hope you find your friend." Subaru embraced the girl gently. A strange sensation flitted through Mari, a soft voice whispering in her head.  _If you should need me..._ Mari moved to pull away to look the woman in the face, but Subaru was already leaving the room, Tasuki and Tamahome moving to stand before the closing door. She contemplated the men before her, watching with a growing trepidation as Hotohori quietly settled into the chair Subaru had occupied moments before, Chichiri hovering close at his shoulder. Their postures spoke to caution, their expressions guarded. Hotohori's curious eyes studied Mari's face in the growing silence. The false smile of Chichiri's mask did nothing to assuage Mari's growing anxiety. What was going on here? What had happened with Su?

"Lady Mari." the emperor's voice was quiet, patient. "I am the emperor of Konan, the Suzaku warrior Hotohori. You were brought to my palace by the Byakko warriors early this morning. They claim you are a girl from beyond our time, much like our priestess, Miaka. They said you've mentioned a friend, another girl who–" A loud banging on the door interrupted Hotohori, drawing their collective attention.

"Your Majesty! There's an emergency in the dungeons. The warden requested your presence, Highness!" The voice outside the door was shrill and panicked, drawing the emperor to his feet and toward the door.

"Tasuki, with me. Tamahome, Chichiri, please stay here and discuss the situation with Lady Mari." He gave her a perfunctory nod. "Please excuse me." With that he was gone, the door falling shut behind him.

* * *

A high-pitched scream rent the air as Hotohori and Tasuki descended to the dungeon, hastening their steps toward the clanking of armor and rattling of spears. Weapons sprung to the hands of the two warriors, minds at edge as they whirled a corner, approaching a small antechamber that glowed with an eerie light.

From her position on the floor, Su felt her heart drop as she saw the arrival of reinforcements. The guards had surrounded her moments after the strange fire emanating from her skin had slashed at another man. They had her pinned down with their weapons, eyes wide and frantic as their spears and swords bounced and clanged from the light around her. She shrieked and yelped with each ringing clash, expecting each and every jab to break through the light and run her through. Another flare caught a third man cross the shoulders, knocking him back toward the new arrivals. She cried out again as the attack intensified.

Pushing their way through the men crowded to the door to the cell, the two warriors were confronted with the chaos of the room, watching as a frantic red light emanated from the huddled body in the corner of the cell as the guards pursued their attack. "Cease this at once!" Hotohori roared across the room, his voice drawing the men to attention, "Is this how you treat prisoners of Konan? With cruelty and abuse?" The men fell into a trained line before the emperor, eyes still on the girl crouched in the corner.

"Your Majesty, she's dangerous!" objected one of the guards. "It's a strange power, the light..." Hotohori's eyes fell to the body curled on the floor, watching as her terrified eyes flickered between the guards and himself. All the while the red light pulsed around her, drawing his curiosity.

"Tasuki, please see to the girl." The terror clanged too loudly in Su's brain for her to make any sense of the situation, to recognize the faces now before her. Filled with panic at the strange surroundings, the spears that had crashed toward her only moment before, she felt her heart speed up as one of the new men approached her. A sharp metal object was clutched tight in one of his hands, his eyes narrowing as he slowly approached. What did he have? Why had the guards called him? What was he going to... Hotohori heard the keening in her throat a moment too late. "Tasuki, your tessen!" The crackle of the light that flared from the girl cut the emperor off, hitting the red-haired warrior with a dull thud across the midsection, knocking him off his feet with a sickening crunch. "Tasuki!" Hotohori rushed to the boy's side, a relieved exhalation parting his lips as he found a pulse in the prone man's neck. Setting his sword down beside Tasuki's unconscious body, Hotohori rose slowly, turning toward the girl where she cowered against the wall.

"Your Majesty!" protested the men at his back, spears at the ready in an instant, sparking a flare in the fiery light that surrounded the girl.

"Silence. Weapons down." He raised both hands before him, forcing calm over his mind as he approached the girl as he would a wild, wounded animal. Her eyes flickered to his bare hands, his empty scabbard, coming to rest on his face with a measured look. He held nothing. He offered his hands in sign of peace, eyes calm, a small smile tilting his lips as he approached her. Could she trust him? "Please." he said. "Please, my lady, we need to talk to you. I won't hurt you." He stood before her, gently reaching out with a hand toward her. "I just need you to drop your magic. I need you to trust me." Su reached tentatively toward the man, the glow falling away from her skin as she touched his hand, relief coursing over her as it disappeared. He pulled her to her feet, the sudden change in position making her head spin, her heart pounding fiercely in her over-exerted state. Her legs went weak, body shaking as darkness plucked at the corners of her vision. She stumbled, leaning heavily on Hotohori he led her from the room, her mind still reeling in confusion. "Please see that Tasuki is brought before the Lord Mitsukake at once. And I want each of you to report to me directly this evening." Something about the man's voice range familiar to Su as it doled out commands with ease. "Your behavior in this situation is reprehensible. Clearly the Konan dungeons are not being run to my standards. This merits a serious discussion."

"Yes, your Highness!"

_Your Highness? Mitsukake? Tasuki? Am I...? Is this really Konan? Are these - did I just attack Suzaku's warriors?!_

* * *

"How is this possible?" Mari looked around her at the warm golden light streaming across the room and the lush greenery just beyond the windows. "I was in Sairo last time I was awake. There is no way we could have come all this way in one afternoon." Her hand rose to her head, trying to still the world as it spun around her, the sleeping drug still clinging to her weakly. Looking at the two men desperately, she tried to throw the coverlet aside as she struggled to her feet, weak legs rebelling against her as she tripped and fell into Chichiri's waiting arms.

"Please," he urged her to sit again, holding her arms firmly until he was sure she wouldn't struggle against him, "you're in no condition to move right now, you know?" She looked at him, trying to peer past the smiling mask to the man underneath, tears coming to her eyes.

"How long have I been sleeping? Please, tell me? I need to find Su!"

"They spoke true." Tamahome offered from the doorway. "Master Tokaki, I mean. He has a way of speeding travel. It took quite a bit of his energy to get you here this quickly. You should be grateful to him." The boy's face was unreadable as he looked at her from his post.

"Tamahome's right, you know? They used magic to bring you here to us so quickly. It would have taken weeks otherwise, you know? Sairo is a long way from here." Chichiri explained gently.

"Oh." They said it like is was such a simple thing. Like it happened every day. Warriors appearing from nowhere. Strange girls falling from the heavens.

"The Byakko mentioned another girl?" Chichiri pressed, relaxing his grip as Mari settled back onto the pillows, curling in toward herself as the two men stared her down. "Who is she?"

"I'm not looking for Miaka, if that's what you're afraid of." Mari assured them, watching as Tamahome's back stiffened as she spoke the girl's name. "Her name is Su. Last time I spoke to her, well not spoke..." Her hands trailed to her neck, her eyes growing wide as she found nothing but bare skin under her fingertips. "My necklace! Where is it? No wonder I can't hear her. Oh, gods, she must have been calling me all this time!" She lunged forward, her fingers twisting into the fabric of Chichiri's shirt as she all but shook him. "Where is it?" An instant later, Tamahome's arms locked around her, pulling her away and pinning her down on the bed.

"You need to calm down." he spat at her through clenched teeth, pushing her down until she stopped struggling. "You're not going to win anyone's favor acting like this."

"Please." Mari cried, tears falling down her cheeks. "Please, I just need it back."

"Tamahome, why don't you go see if the Byakko brought any of the Lady Mari's personal effects with them?" Tamahome opened his mouth to protest, but Chichiri only met him with a raised palm, stilling him before he could make things worse with his blustering. "Thank you, Tamahome." Mari sniffed as he released her, reluctantly leaving the two alone.

"I'm sorry." Mari rubbed her cheeks dry with the heel of her hand. "This is all so strange. We... we shouldn't be here at all. This isn't meant for us. I just want to find Su and go home."

"And where is that?" he asked, lowering himself to the chair so he could look her in the eyes. "Your home?"

"Ah, how do I explain this?" she sniffed, sitting back, trying to find the most sane way to explain it to him. "I come from the same time, the same world as the priestess... as Miaka, but the other side of it. Does that make any sense?" She ran her hands through her short hair in frustration, letting them rest on the back of her neck as she sighed, trying not to lose her composure again. "I know it sounds crazy."

"I've heard stranger tales." The masked grin grew wider as he looked at her, patting her knee gently. She smiled weakly at him, the first he had seen of her since she arrived, sleeping soundly in Tokaki's arms that morning. It surprised him, seeing the expression cross her face, no matter how fleeting. Surprised him that she was trying to be brave.

"Here." Tamahome let himself back in without warning, tossing a bundle in Chichiri's lap before returning to his post at the door. "They said they threw most of her clothing out, but they saved these things." The monk pulled back the careful wrapping, looking at the contents within. He pushed aside the strange crumpled green rectangles of paper and the few coins. Currency from her world, perhaps? A strange white and black stick that leaked ink from its tip, staining his finger. A few pairs of jeweled earrings he assumed belonged in the tiny holes in her bare earlobes. A silver ring.

"Oh." The gasp fell unexpectedly from his lips as his fingers touched upon the small necklace at the bottom of the bundle, fingertips trailing over the small red and green beads in a familiar pattern. A prayer for each small red bead, a blessing for the green. He reached for the larger twin hanging around his own shoulders, his gaze flicking back up to hers, looking for an answer to a question he hadn't yet asked as he lifted the smaller replica, letting it hang in the air between them.

"Oh, thank god!" Mari snatched it before he could stop her, clasping the beads around her neck with fumbling fingers. Her eyes clamped closed as she focused all her concentration, calling for her friend.  _Su?! Su, can you hear me? Su!_

Chichiri clamped his hands over his ears, trying to drown out the mental voice that shrieked through his skull.

* * *

_Music: People are Strange - Johnny Hollow_

 


	6. My Dinner With Hotohori

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Telepathy!

_What magic is this?_  Chichiri's panic flooded into Mari's consciousness, startling her back to focus. _How is this possible?_  He fought the mental intrusion, mind rebelling, trying to push her thoughts from his head. Mari clutched her hair, thoughts a disjointed garble of fear, confusion, and desperation as she both called for Su and balked under the strange new feeling of Chichiri's panicked voice.

_I don't know-_

_This isn't supposed to-_

_Su, where are you?_

_This isn't right. You're not supposed to-_

_Su? Why won't she answer?_

_Why is this happening?_

"Stop!" Chichiri's voice cut through Mari's inner discord, his hands darting to her neck to free the necklace from her shoulders with swift fingers. The man sighed in relief as his mind stilled, Mari's alien panic subsiding until only his thoughts remained, familiar and measurable.

"Why isn't she answering?" Mari pleaded with Chichiri as she reached for the necklace in his hands. "Please, I need to – she should be able to hear me. That's how we communicated when she first came here."

"I'm sorry." Chichiri shook his head, his heart sinking as he watched tears well in the eyes of the girl before him. "Until I know what magic this is, I can't give you the necklace. It's too dangerous. We don't even know who you are, you know?" Mari groaned in frustration, falling back into the pillows as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's not fair! I need to find my friend."

"Look, we don't know who you are." Tamahome's voice cut in harshly. "The Byakko warriors are friends, but you just appeared from nowhere. We don't know if you're a Kutou spy, or worse!"

"Tamahome, please." Chichri sighed, leaning towards the bed and offering the girl a small cloth for her tears. "I'm sorry, Mari. Times are... tense. Our relations with Kutou are strained, and the emperor and his counselors are unsure of who we can trust. Our priestess Miaka has proven herself. We have no evidence of your story. We can't know why you are here until the reason shows itself."

* * *

Su let the emperor lead her up the stairs to the palace proper, lost in trying to process the developments of the past hour. Her dreams taunted her, the memory of what had occurred eluding her. She could feel something important had happened, but all her mind would offer her was the memory of silken robes and gentle fingers combing through her hair. The rest was lost in the brilliant red light that had surrounded her as she woke. The magic. It was gone now, leaving no trace behind. But moments before it had surrounded her with a powerful shield, blocking the violent attempts of the soldiers, striking out with her fear and injuring one of Suzaku's warriors. What was going on here, anyway?

Hotohori kept his arm carefully over the girl's shivering shoulders, leading her quietly down the palace hallways to the wing the warriors were staying in. The power she had displayed in the dungeons had been impressive to say the least; if his assumptions were correct, he had a powerful new weapon in the fight against Kutou.

"I'm sorry." The voice from the emperor's side interrupted his musings, his gaze dropping to the girl leaning against him. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I was... I was scared." A sniffle punctuated her apology, wrinkling Hotohori's elegant brow.

"Please, Lady..?"

"Su. It's Su."

"Lady Su, then. What you displayed was a rare and unique gift. It was encouraging to see. Our priestess has no power to speak of; the magic you displayed is a welcome gift from Suzaku in our fight against Seiryuu."

"But I don't want to fight anyone!" the girl protested, watery eyes turning to meet Hotohori's gaze. "I just want to find my friend and go home!" A frown marred the perfect beauty of the emperor's face as he paused, contemplating her worried gaze, his arm still supporting the girl protectively. He slowly shook his head, thinking of the other girl he had seen this morning, the similarities between the two; the differences. If this girl was a warrior for Suzaku, then who, or what, had summoned the Lady Mari? More importantly, was it wise to allow them to see each other? To allow this new weapon to part from his careful guidance?

"I'm afraid you have no choice, Lady Su." Hotohori murmured. "If Suzaku has a plan for you, there's little you can do to stray from that path."

* * *

"It is most strange." The emperor mused. "The legend never heralded anyone beside the seven and the priestess." The warriors around the table nodded slowly, searching their own knowledge of the myth.

"The power you describe the Lady Su displaying is most curious, you know?" Chichiri murmured. "Is Tasuki okay?" Mitsukake inclined his head, his low voice rumbling in confirmation.

"His ribs were fractured along his left side, nothing too serious, though the blow gave him a bit of a concussion. I kept him under to speed the healing. He should be waking shortly."

"Chichiri, what came of your conversation with the Lady Mari?" All eyes at the table turned toward the monk, the blue-haired man searching for the right words to describe his strange experience.

"She has a strange artifact she brought from her world with her." he hedged, an unexpected hesitation to reveal their odd psychic connection coming over him.

"Ha, strange doesn't even begin to explain it." Tamahome sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. "She kept begging for her necklace. Stirring up a fit until 'Chiri handed it to her. As soon as she put it on he was holding his head like it was going to fall of his shoulders, screaming for her to stop!" A hush fell over the room as Tamahome shared this information, the assembled party holding their breath in an anxious anticipation as their eyes all fell to Chichiri for explanation. He shifted uncomfortably under their collective gaze, trying to explain as clearly as he could.

"It holds some sort of magic, you know? She claimed she needed it to find her friend, Su. When she put it around her neck... I could hear her. Calling out for the other girl in her mind." His hand unconsciously rose, fingers resting on his temples as he remembered Mari's panic bubbling inside his mind. "I could feel what she felt, you know? I don't think she meant me any harm. I truly believe she is as afraid as she says she is. That she can't comprehend her presence among us."

"However, the Lady Su has indeed been blessed by Suzaku. There is no denying that after the display we witnessed." Hotohori bowed his head. "And the two girls have asked for each other by name. From all the information presented, I believe she speaks true, and that she and the Lady Su are indeed friends." He rested his chin regally upon his laced fingers, contemplating the table in front of him as if the answers he needed rested in the wood grain.

"If one is blessed by Suzaku..." Nuriko added his voice to the conversation cautiously. He had spent time with their priestess. Long hours talking in private, sharing stories and secrets. He knew of Miaka's lost friend, the girl by the name of Yui who had fallen prey to the Seiryuu. The girl they had all feared had been dropped in their laps by the Byakko until Miaka had laid eyes upon the sleeping girl, shaking her head sadly.

"Then who brought the other one?" Mitsukake finished quietly. It was a cruel thought, but one they had to consider. If Miaka and her friend had been summoned by the gods to be pitted against each other, there was a very real chance the same could be said for these two girls, as well.

"Where is the Lady Su now?" Chichiri inquired of Hotohori quietly, following a loose train of thought as the mystery of the necklace gnawed at him.

"I've moved her to a more comfortable room in the guest quarters to rest." he offered, frowning as he remembered the state the girl was found in. "I've had what remains of her effects brought to her, as well a clean change of clothing and a warm meal. It's the least I could offer after..." he fell silent, suddenly deeming the subject unfit for discussion.

"Have they been allowed to see each other?" the monk pressed.

"No. I didn't think it wise."

"Perhaps it would ease their spirits to be reunited?" Mitsukake offered. "I was planning on visiting the Lady Su after my meal to see if she was in need of healing. Perhaps I could take the Lady Mari with me? I am sure her presence will do much to sooth the Lady Su's distress, and it will make my work easier." Hotohori sighed, his reluctance evident. But after the trials the young woman had endured, he didn't feel it was right to deny the girl a small comfort.

"Very well. Chichiri, would you accompany him, please?" The monk nodded silently, both he and Mitsukake rising as they decided that this was something that shouldn't wait until after they had eaten.

"If you'll excuse us, Highness." The two men left the room, their fellow warriors watching them nervously as they left them with their meals.

* * *

_Music: Modern Girls & Old Fashioned Men - Strokes/Regina Spektor_

 


	7. A Little off the Tasuki, Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wild Tasuki appears

Su sat on the lavish bed, finally alone as the last of the servants left her, lighting the lanterns in her room to stay the darkness as night fell and leaving her with a steaming tray of food and her thoughts. She could feel her mouth watering, and realized she hadn't eaten in over a day. She kneeled at the small table, the silk cushions cradling her knees, a far cry from the cold earthen floor she had woken up on that morning. All this afforded to her because of that wild, red light. A blessing, Hotohori had called it. She still couldn't believe it. It felt like a dream. Like something unreal. She was surrounded by strangers with familiar faces. A small, girlish part of her told her she should be delighted. That this was something out of a storybook. But still, she couldn't shake the fear that clung to her mind. Couldn't ignore the truth that no matter how familiar the faces were, she knew nothing about the men who wore them beyond simple stories and ideas. They were strangers to her.

Su shook her head, banishing the thoughts momentarily as she brought a spoonful of broth to her lips, sighing as the flavor blossomed on her tongue. Suddenly, the spoon was too small. She lifted the bowl to her lips, drinking deeply as her hunger overtook her, choking on the liquid as a knock echoed in the quiet of the room. She dropped the bowl to the tray, panic overtaking her as she feared the guards had returned to announce a mistake and drag her away again.

"Who's there?" she called out cautiously, ears straining to hear the response.

"Su?"

"Mari!" Su was on her feet in a moment, running toward the door as she threw it open and launched herself into Mari's arms without a second thought. Mari caught her, the two falling to their knees as they wrapped their arms around each other. "I'm so glad you're safe! I couldn't hear you anymore. I thought..." her words died in her throat as Mari's arms tightened around her shoulders, pulling tears to her eyes.

"Perhaps you would both be more comfortable seated inside?" Chichiri offered tactfully, startling Su. She hadn't seen them there, standing guard at Mari's side. When she searched Mari's face, Su could see her friend's nervousness written there. The two clung to each other, looking at the men with scared eyes. "Don't worry, we're not going to hurt either of you, you know? We thought it might be nice for you two to be able to see each other again. Mitsukake only wants to make sure any injuries are seen to." Su didn't know what to make of the kindness she had been afforded so suddenly, looking to Mari for reassurance.

"Go with him. I'll be right here. I promise, I'm not going anywhere." Mari gave her hand a squeeze before letting Mitsukake gently lead Su back into the room, murmuring gentle reassurances to the girl as he sat her down to inquire upon her health and well-being. "I'm not going anywhere, right?" Mari turned her eyes to Chichiri, looking up at him nervously.

"No." he answered, hesitation stalling him for a moment. "Not right now. This is very strange to us, but you both have been honest with us. There are just some questions that still need answers, you know?" She nodded, wondering what she could say to make these people trust her. What Su had managed to do that she could not. Deep in her mind, she feared they could hear it. The constant ringing that was echoing in her skull, trying to drag her away. A flash of green distracted them both, and they looked up to find Mitsukake's hands resting on either side of Su's head as he focused, eyes closed as he breathed deeply.

"That should help you sleep some." He opened his eyes, offering her a smile as the glow subsided. "The rest will ease over time. Your hurt was not as great as the emperor had led me to believe. For that I am glad." He rose to his feet, offering Su a small pat on the shoulder. "I believe Chichri has a few questions for you both. Please send a servant should you have need of me." He left himself out quietly, leaving the three in an awkward silence.

"May we sit?" Chichiri offered, gesturing to the silk cushions pooled around the small table. The two girls complied, sitting quietly, eyes trained on him as they waited for him to speak. He found suddenly that he didn't know where to begin. Instead of speaking, he reached into a pocket, drawing out Mari's small necklace and depositing it on the table in between them.

"Oh." Mari's gaze fell to it, nervously flicking to Chichiri before resting back on the trinket.

"Your necklace!" Su cried, reaching for it. Both Chichiri and Mari watched as she scooped it up, turning it over in her hands. "Is this why I couldn't hear you?"

"What magic is this," Chichiri asked curiously, "that lets you speak within your mind like that?"

"Magic?" Su looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"They gave me my necklace back this afternoon." Mari explained. "I couldn't hear you when I put it on," her gaze fell to Su's bare throat, noting that her friend's necklace was missing as well, "but I could hear him."

"What? How?" Su asked, hand flying to her throat, suddenly realizing her necklace was gone, too.

"I don't know." Mari shook her head. "I thought it only worked if two things were the same, like matching thread, or ribbons and uniforms, like Miaka and Yui's ." Chichiri frowned as Mari mentioned the priestess and her lost friend, wondering at her unspoken knowledge of the two girls.

"Lady Mari mentioned you had a necklace of your own as well. Has it been returned to you?" Su let her eyes flicker about the room, coming to rest on a small pile of torn, dirty clothing on a nearby table. She hopped to her feet, fishing through the material until her fingers found the small string of beads.

"Here." She placed it next to Mari's, the two sitting side by side. The pattern of the glass seemed familiar to Chichiri, but he couldn't seem to place it.

"Would you both put them on, please?" Mari tilted her head to the side, wondering if it was a trick. "Please?" he repeated, bracing himself against the onslaught he was anticipating. The two girls each reached for their respective necklaces, fastening them cautiously around their throats. The cacophony was immediate, a trinity of voices ringing in their collective minds.

_Mari?_

_Su, can you hear me?_

_How is this possible?_

_Mari, I'm scared!_

_It's ok, Su. Just stay calm._

_Owww, my damn head!_

_Who is that?_

_The fuck are you?_

_Tasuki?_

_Tasuki?!_

_Why's there a woman shrieking my name?_

_Just stay calm, you know?_

_Mari?_

_WHO THE HELL IS MARI?!_

Mari tore the necklace from her throat, gasping as the fourth voice joined their mental onslaught, shouting his displeasure in her mind. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she looked around. Chichiri's masked eyes met hers, his posture easing as the voices quieted in his mind as well. Only Su remained locked in the cacophony, hands over her ears as she cried out.

"Stop yelling. Please stop yelling!" Mari reached for her friend, unfastening the necklace and throwing it onto the table as Su shrieked angrily. Chichiri gathered it up, the familiar trinket finally hitting home as he placed its design, its twin one of the colorful necklaces that hung around the temperamental bandit's neck. A temperamental bandit who burst into the room mere moments later.

"What the fuck is going on!?" His eyes seized upon Su, narrowing as he recognized the girl who'd attacked him in the dungeon. "You!" Su emitted a startled squeak, scrambling backward from the doors as a red light burst in a vibrant corona about her, edges crackling and sparking with power.

"Tasuki, you need to calm down. You're scaring her, you know?" Chichiri rose to block the irate bandit's path, trying desperately to talk sense into the boy as Mari turned her attention to her friend.

"Su, what's going on? What is that glow?" Mari reached out to touch the light, yanking her hand back with a hiss as it flared against her fingers.

"'Chiri, that's the stupid girl who attacked me when I was trying to help 'er out in the damned dungeons!" Tasuki pointed accusingly at Su as she scrambled to her feet across the room, ire raised at the insult.

"Yeah? Well, I'll do it again, you fucking beast!"

"Shut yer damn mouth!" Tasuki struggled against Chichiri, reaching for the girls behind the monk. Su growled back, a bolt of energy crackling above the group.

"Enough!" Chichiri's voice snapped across those assembled, stilling the commotion. "Stop this before someone gets hurt! Tasuki, sit down and be quiet for once. Su, calm down or you might hurt Mari or I by accident, you know?" He gazed sternly at the two, watching their anger fade into sulks as they settled on opposite sides of the table from each other, still trading glares.

"Now," Chichiri began once they were all settled, "here's what I think is going on..."

* * *

The four ended their conversation in the wee hours of the morning, yawns punctuating their final words as Tasuki slumped off to his room, leaving Chichiri to walk Mari to hers.

"Thank you for your help. Tasuki isn't the easiest person to keep calm, you know?" Mari grinned up at the man beside her, the first true smile she'd worn since arriving in this land. Chichiri felt a small leap of delight within his chest as her eyes crinkled at the corners, his own face subconsciously matching hers behind his mask.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly describe Su as quiet and patient, either." Mari chuckled. "I mean, she's the one arching her magic across the room." They arrived at her bedchamber, Chichiri nodding to the guard posted nearby, opening the door for the girl with a small bow.

"All the same, Lady Mari - I was happy to have you there." Still half-bent in a bow, Chichiri was surprised when a slender pair of arms wound around his neck, the girl pulling him into a careful embrace.

"Thank you for being so kind." The words were whispered close to his ear, before pulling away and retreating into her room, sliding the door shut with one last smile. The monk stood for a long moment, blinking at the closed door in surprise. A chuckle from a nearby soldier brought him back to reality, casting the man an embarrassed look before wandering back to his rooms. He blamed the odd reaction on the late hour. He was just tired. And it was the strange situation at hand that ensured his last thoughts before sleeping were of the Lady Mari.

After all, there was much to be done in the morning.

* * *

The meeting with Hotohori and his counselors went well. The emperor allowed the women to stay on in their palace rooms. They would be allowed to experiment with the abilities the necklace granted, and Su would try and hone the flares of magic she'd been showing in waves and bursts here and there. Chichiri left the audience with the emperor satisfied, excited about this new turn in the fight against Seiryuu.

The girls, however, were less happy at the outcome. No one knew how to return them to their world. The advisers to the emperor insisted they be confined to their rooms with guards posted outside their doors at all times, constant companions as their every movements were watched. Their necklaces were to be kept by Chichiri, their property and power afforded to them only at the monks whim. Albeit a kindly jailer, Chichiri still played ruler of their destinies, a game neither girl was fond of.

Neither could see the arrangement lasting long.

* * *

_Music: Secrets - One Republic_

 


	8. Crouching Bandit, Hidden Monk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tasuki and Su get drunk. Mari and Chichiri have a fight.

Weeks passed, slow and exhausting, as the two girls fell into a monotonous routine.

Wake. Eat. Walk. Sit. Train. Eat again. Sit. Study. Walk. Sit. Eat once more. Sleep. Repeat.

Day in and day out, it was the same. Both girls were awoken in the morning to be fed, bathed, and dressed before being pushed out their doors to walk the gardens. Always in the company of the six assembled Suzaku warriors, each taking turns strolling with the girls. Questioning them under the guise of polite conversation. Then Su would be whisked away into their company so they could test her strange powers, trying to learn its wild intricacies and how best to use them to their advantage. Mari would return to her rooms, taking her afternoon meal alone and waiting until Chichiri returned Su to her in the afternoons, dragging a reluctant Tasuki behind him for a tiring session of study, the four trying to puzzle the ways of their strange connection and leaving each day with little to show for it other than sour tempers and pounding headaches. Then they would be pushed out of their doors again, strolling the gardens idly and peppered with more questions as night fell and their rooms were turned over for the night. When it was time to take their evening meal, Su would be shown to the dining room to dine with the priestess and her warriors. Mari would be escorted back to her rooms to eat alone. If their meal did not run late, they would let Su and Mari have an hour to themselves to talk quietly. If not, they would sleep.

And so it went as the weeks dragged on. Each day they pulled Su a little further away, kept her a little longer. And each day, Mari became a bit more withdrawn. Speaking less and less. Until again, as they had countless times before, they all found themselves around a table in Mari's room, the two foreign girls and their warrior shadows all holding their heads in frustrations as the headaches began creeping to the edges of their minds.

"Chichiri, I'm exhausted. Su and Tasuki are as well. Can we please stop for today?" Mari begged of the monk, falling onto her back and running her hands over her forehead and into her hair as she breathed a heavy sigh.

"Girl's got a point, 'Chiri. This ain't getting us anywhere fast." Tasuki growled, mimicking Mari's posture as his head fell into his crossed arms on the tabletop.

"We need to make this work." he urged. "Until I understand it, this magic it is a danger to us. And we need all four of us to test it fully, you know?" Across the table Su frowned at him, sitting back heavily as she let her gaze fall to her lap. Mari took in her friend's despondent posture, the tired curve of Tasuki's hunched shoulders. Even Chichiri was fighting fatigue and frustration as the afternoon dragged on. She could feel anger flaring in time with her rapidly growing headache, pulling a barking protest to her lips.

"No!" The room grew silent as the three blinked at her. Mari rose to her knees, unfastening the necklace and slamming it down on the table definitely. "No more! Not today!"

"This isn't helping your case any, Mari!" Chichiri surprised everyone in the room as he snapped at the girl before him. "How am I supposed to keep telling Hotohori's council that you're safe, that you're good, that you're one of us if you don't work to prove yourself?!"

"How am I supposed to prove my worth if I am too exhausted to endure your trials?" she slammed her palms on the table top, the sound echoing through the room. Mari held his gaze, eyes steady as they burned into him. She resisted the urge to slap that smiling mask clean off his face, turning instead to face the wall.

"Uh, 'Chiri?" Tasuki's voice whined at the monk, daring to get between him and the girl he was glaring at.

"Out. Take the Lady Su and go." Chichiri's voice was low, his gaze never leaving Mari's back as he spoke. "I need to have a word with Lady Mari."

"Come on." Tasuki grabbed Su's arm, dragging her to her feet and to the door before she could protest, his hand on her back propelling her through the doorway as she cast a last glance into her friend's room. "I've never seen him that worked up before. Man, that's scary!" He laced his fingers behind his head, stretching in the late afternoon sunlight.  _Stupid girl didn't have to go and get him all riled up though. 'Tohori's gonna give me an earful now, just watch._

"I heard that." Su glared at him. "Don't call my friend stupid."  _You bastard._

"Hey!" Tasuki snarled at her. "Who are you calling a bastard?"

"Well," she smiled sweetly at him, "I don't see anyone else here. And I certainly can't be sure of your parentage, Mister Tough Mountain Man." Even as his eyes narrowed at her, she could feel the amusement rippling through his mind, tickling her consciousness as a sonorous chuckle bloomed in her head.

"Heh, it's not so bad when it's just two of us." he smirked. "Don't know if I like ya in there, but it ain't terrible like this, at least." Su nodded her agreement, feeling a sense of ease as Tasuki's defenses lowered, the bandit speaking kindly to her for the first time since she had arrived weeks ago. A sly smile crossed his face, and Su was unsure whether she should be frightened until she felt his voice thread through her mind, his eyes screwed shut tightly as he tried to concentrate.  _I'm starving. Wanna learn how to raid food from the kitchens?_  Su snorted, the question unexpected.

"Really? That's how you want to spend your afternoon of freedom?" Her eyebrow lifted as he grinned at her, lazy and wolfish, his shoulders rising in a casual shrug.

"What? I am a bandit, after all." He tossed back his head, a throaty laugh leaving his lips. She had never heard him really laugh before. It was nice. _Come on, it'll be fun. Suzaku knows we could use it._

_Ok!_  she nodded, falling into step as he took off swiftly in front of her.

* * *

Chichiri waited with the last of his patience for Su and Tasuki's voices to fade into the distance, eyes trained on Mari's squared shoulders as he repeated every mantra he could recall in his head, to try and calm his rising temper. They had been making so much progress until this week, the connection growing more stable as clarity and understanding began to come to them all. He was even able to pick out individual thoughts, to reach for the voices he most wished to listen to. Mari had been cooperative, helpful even, keeping both Su and Tasuki calm as the two fidgeted through their long afternoon sessions. He didn't understand why she was being so difficult now. The entire week she had been withdrawn, almost bird-like in her nervousness. Frequently lost in her thoughts, and unwilling to share them.

"We can't afford this wasted time." The words ground out from between his teeth, more harsh than he had meant them to sound. Her shoulders twitched as he spoke, her face turning toward his. She didn't look angry any more, she only looked tired. Worn down. He squinted at her, trying to remember if she always had the dark circles beneath her eyes.

"Chichiri, I'm trying. We all are. I'm just so tired." Her sigh cut the air, face falling as she spoke.

"But we're almost there, you know?" he pressed, trying to make her see sense. "Perhaps if we lessened the load? You and I could..."

"Chichiri, are you listening to a word I'm saying? No more. We've been trying for weeks!"

"But we could use this to stop the Seiryuu, to destroy them!" Her eyes went wide at his words, arms crossing protectively across her chest as her fingers clung to the fabric at her shoulders. She chastised herself mentally. Of course he wanted to destroy the Seiryuu. She had known that, but had let herself forget as the weeks had dragged by. As the Suzaku Seven had transformed themselves from words on a page to actual people. People who would lock her away if they knew the battle she was fighting within herself. People who might even kill her for it.

"I'm not a weapon," she whispered, as much for his benefit as for her own reassurance, " and I am not a tool. I'm person, just like you." She looked at him then, her blue eyes pleading for understanding. He sighed heavily, rising to his feet as Mari's gaze followed him.

"We'll try again tomorrow." Her face fell away from him as he crossed to the door, letting himself out in the warm afternoon and leaving her alone in her room, her head hanging heavily on weary shoulders. She listened for the sound of his footsteps, letting out a sigh as they died away, her body collapsing to the floor. She wrapped her hands around her head, fingers splayed wide against her temples, teeth clenched as she tried to still the riot in her mind. The call that was growing every day, plaguing her dreams with visions of serpents and pulling at her bones until she couldn't sleep at night.

_Kutou_. It repeated itself over and over. An icy burn in her soul.  _To Kutou. To me._

* * *

It was well past nightfall when Chichiri returned to his rooms, temper finally in check after letting his feet blindly guide him around the palace grounds for the past several hours. In hindsight, he was ashamed of himself for letting his frustration get the best of him. The strength of his emotions only ever led him down dark pathways when he let them free. Mari had been right, she was not a weapon, nor was she a tool. They were all frightened and tired, he was too preoccupied with the strange magic at hand to realize that. He owed the three an apology in the morning.

Lost in his routine, he crossed the expanse of his room, making his way to the small lock box he stored the necklaces in, hand stilling as he realized that he had forgotten to collect them after his argument that afternoon. "Well done." he chided himself softly. There was something about the foreign girl that got under his skin, and he wasn't entirely sure he cared for it. But there was nothing to be done for it. He reluctantly left his room, feet leading him down the short distance that separated their rooms. "Mari?" he called quietly, knuckles rapping the ornate wood of her door frame. Silence answered him, a lone lantern flickering gently behind the screen, illuminating her window. "Mari, I'm coming in."

The door parted silently, letting him slip into the quiet room, finding the necklace still glimmering softly where she had slammed it down on the table earlier that afternoon. He collected the trinket, turning it over in his hand as a small whimper caught his ear, drawing his attention deeper into the room. Peering into the darkness, he could just make out Mari, the girl tossing restlessly on her canopied bed. Her face turned toward the lamplight, shining as a sheen of sweat clung to her skin. He quirked his head, rising to his feet as he crossed the room. Perhaps she was ill? That would certainly explain her short temper earlier in the day. She tossed her head again as he approached, hands balling into fists in the sheets as she murmured quietly, the words garbled as her tongue moved slowly, heavy with sleep. More an exhalation of breath than an actual word. A dream, then.

As he turned to leave, the beads of her necklace clicked softly in his hand. An idea ticked his brain, and he felt a twinge of guilt as he actually considered it. It wasn't right, but perhaps... she wouldn't know. And it wouldn't harm her if she was sleeping. Maybe this would help him ease the strain on all of them. He slipped the necklace around her throat as she slept, feeling the strange connection return to him as it fastened securely under her hair. His head swam suddenly, a pair of drunk voices singing loudly in the front of his mind.

_Really? You're both drunk?_  The thought slipped from him before he could collect it, startling the two, their confusion hazy and effervescent under the influence of the alcohol that swam in their heads.

_Oh, shit! Take it off! Take it off_! Tasuki babbled incoherently, his clumsy shock clinging to Chichiri's mind like a blanket. A feminine laugh bubbled up in his brain along with the sensation of being tickled.

_Stop that! Hey, I-_  Chichiri felt the connection go dead as the bandit succeeded in snatching the necklace off of Su's neck. He shook his head with a bit of a laugh. At least the two were finally getting along.

_Come to me, Mari._  The voice startled him out of his thoughts, dragging him into Mari's dream as he felt it wind around him, constricting his mind as it pulled at him, at his heart, burning in the back of his throat.  _How much longer will you deny me?_

_Please, leave me! h_ er voice begged, tired and weak. _Please?_

_I will not! You will find no peace until you answer my call._  He felt the cruel claws as they raked her mind raw, felt her cry out in his mind even as he heard a strangled cry leave her lips.  _You will come to Kutou eventually, my child!_

"Kutou!" The word spilled from his lips before he could stop himself, Mari's eyes flying open to stare at him.

"Chichiri?"  _Oh gods, how long has he been here? What did I say?_  "What are you doing in my room?" He looked at her, mouth hanging slack in the lantern light.

_All this time? All this time you've been deceiving us_? His accusation rang in her head, her fingers flying up to the necklace that was fastened at her throat.

"Spying? You were spying on me? While I slept?!" her voice rose to a shrill cry as tears beaded in her eyes, threatening to fall down her cheek. He backed away from her, stumbling to his feet as she let her face fall into her hands, her despair falling over him like a great weight, black and heavy.  _I trusted you. I trusted you!_

_Mari, I..._  She could feel his shame as it burned within him.

_I TRUSTED YOU!_ His hands rose to his ears, staggering back against the wall as she roared her sorrow and fear into his mind, black creeping to the edge of his vision. He looked up as her footsteps echoed by him, Mari racing toward the door as she threw it open, flying into the darkness outside.

"Mari. Come back!" He chased her into the darkness, his cry alerting the nearby guards to attention. He could feel her panic rise as she heard the armored footsteps give chase. As she heard him call after her. "Mari!"

_Just let me go._  she begged of him.

_I can't let you go. You know I can't._  He felt her mind pause, weighing her next action.

_I know, Houjun._  The words were heavy, laden with so much sorrow he felt as if he would weep under the weight of them. The sound of his name, his true name, spoken like that turning his blood to ice.  _Tell Su I'm sorry._  A musical clatter rang out in the darkness, the beads showering along the stone of the courtyard as Mari tore the necklace from her throat, letting the beads slip for her fingers as she ran from the palace into the streets of the sleeping city.

* * *

_Music: Leave - R.E.M._

 


	9. This One Time... at Seiryuu's Camp...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari goes cliff diving

Su giggled at Tasuki as his drunken clowning entertained her through her own intoxicated haze. She'd served as his moll for the raid of the palace kitchens hours before, ducking around the ladles and flailing limbs of the angered chefs as she'd skidded along behind him. After they'd retired to a hidden corner of the gardens, he'd raised his eyebrows at her haul, chuckling as he'd hoisted the two large bottles of sake from her arms.

"Hey, this is pretty strong stuff for a girl." he'd smirked at her, his appreciation for her loot rippling through her mind, curling her lips into a cocky grin as she'd responded.

"Why don't we just see who it's too strong for, hey?" They'd both gotten drunk faster than they expected, their drunken haze reflected from mind to mind, growing in their shared consciousness as it refracted into a dizzy glow of joy at their free afternoon. The tension of the past weeks rolled off the two teenagers in the late afternoon light. Devouring their pilfered dinner, they'd watched the sun set, casting reds and oranges on the land around them. The golden glow fell away from the palace as Tasuki taught her the lewd and ridiculous bandit songs from his mountain. She was laughing uproariously at a particularly ribald bit when Chichiri's presence loomed large in their heads, a dark undertow of panic rolling beneath his question, surprising the two from their lazy reverie in the grass. Tasuki grabbed Su suddenly, confusing the still giggling girl as he reached for her necklace, nimble pickpocket fingers tickling her soft skin as she's writhed and smacked at him.

_Stop it! Hey, I–_ "I'm ticklish!" she concluded aloud as his hands came away with her necklace, tucking it neatly into his pocket as he responded.

"Hey, I dunno 'bout you, but I don't wanna angry monk comin' over to preach at us about drinkin'." he leered at her as he crooked his hands into claws before him. "But what was that about bein' ticklish?"

"Don't you dare." Su hiccupped, pushing herself unsteadily to her feet to back away from his wicked grin. "I swear to Suzaku, you dreadful boy, I'll make you sorry you...!" she trailed off into a yelp as he gave chase, the two weaving maniacally through the gardens, shrieking and cackling as they wended their way back to the palace. Tasuki rounded the gate to the gardens, crashing unexpectedly into Su's suddenly still form, his hands grabbing her arms as he struggled to keep his balance.

"Whadda ya..?" Su didn't hear the rest of the question. Her eyes were riveted on the figure running across the far end of the courtyard. She struggled to push away from the boy at her back, trying to rip her arms free from his suddenly fierce grip.

"Mari!" Su cried, reaching for her friend as she strained desperately against Tasuki's hold on her. "Mari, wait!" But the older girl didn't hear her friend, her hand rising to her throat to she ripped the beads from her neck. Su's scream lit up the night as she struggled against the bandit's hands.

"No! Mari!" she collapsed, sobbing as Mari disappeared beyond the gates, fading into the dark of the night. Tasuki stared down at her, suddenly unsure what to do with the person he'd been laughing and carousing with mere moments before.

"You can let her go." Chichiri's voice came quietly from his side, the monk looking tired even behind his smiling mask. "She won't run now. Mari's gone." Tasuki released Su's arms, watching as she tripped forward, falling to her knees where Mari had run moments before. With trembling fingers she began collecting beads from between the cobblestones as she wept.

"What happened, 'Chiri?" Tasuki's voice was low as he watched a retinue of guards man the gates, swinging the great doors shut.

"Nuriko was right, Mari was summoned by Seiryuu. She's a weapon of the dragon god." He let out a deep sigh, seeking to ease the ache of regret in his chest as he uttered the last words. "Mari is the enemy, now."

* * *

She ran blindly for days, not knowing where she was going, not caring. She followed the call in her head, resting when she grew weary, stealing small bits of food from the villages she had passed on her way. She estimated that over a week had passed. Maybe more. Lost time spent trudging along the dirt roads, hair growing greasy and matted, body filthy from nights spent hiding in dark alleys avoiding anyone official looking. Her stomach rumbled, taunting her with memories of the small, bitter plums she'd consumed the previous evening. Stolen green from a farmer's tree before the man had come running from the house shouting curses at her. Now, a day later, she wandered through a dark alley, sniffling back tears as she searched for an empty corner to call her bed.

Dirty, tired, and starving, but at least she was free. The slithering voice in her head had faded as she passed through the gates of the town that morning, curling quietly to hibernate in the base of her skull, serpentine breath ghosting along her spine as she wandered the streets of what she could only assume was Kutou. Men on horseback had passed, looking for a girl with short hair and odd dress, driving her into the alleys to hide among the less fortunate of the city, barely avoiding the scrap heap fights and mad eyes of some of them. At last finding a corner stacked with an abandoned pile of hay, she'd sunk deep into the scratchy bedstead, eyes falling shut against the pain in her limbs, in her stomach, as she finally fell into the deep dark of sleep.

_A flash of white light, a burst of blue; the sound of rushing water charging violently around her. In her dreams, Mari opened her eyes to find herself standing atop a small stone island that hovered just at the precipice of a towering waterfall, a misty view of the countryside drawing a gasp from her lungs._

"You've finally come to me."  _A low voice wound its way over the crashing of the water, pulling her attention from the view as she spun. Her tired eyes took in the long blue hair, the fierce gaze, the silk robes that flowed around him like water. She backed away from the intensity on his face, from the long-fingered hands reaching for her, feeling her heels meet the crumbling edge of the stone._

_"No..." her voice came out a bare murmur, her will to run any more sapping away. The day of rest from the call left her unprepared for its overwhelming intensity now. "Please. I just want to go home." The beast god merely chuckled, shaking his head softly as he continued his slow approach._

"You know that's not possible, my warrior girl."

_"I'm not yours! Su and I are no one's weapons!" Mari cried out in frustration, throwing up her hands in a vain attempt to stop the advancing creature. His aura pressed on her mind, pushing at what little defenses she could put up._

"You know what must be done. You know the story of this place, of this time. You and your friend will only be able to leave when this war is over."  _He snarled a smile at her, pleasure shivering through him as he hissed._  "When the Suzaku Seishi, their priestess, and your dear friend have all been scrubbed from this wretched world."

_"No." Mari shook her head, tears falling from her face. There was nowhere to run. The waterfall was at her back; Seiryuu at her front. The world she and her friend had fantasized about for so long had turned out to be a brutal place. A land of war and famine, poverty and vengeance. She couldn't allow herself to be twisted up in their battle any longer, even if it meant taking the easy way out. "I'll never help you." she hissed, rage-filled eyes meeting Seiryuu's as she stepped back, flinging her body from the tiny island. Her borrowed robes fluttered in the breeze around her, rising water droplets gently brushing her face as she fell, twisting through the air like an acrobat, peace enveloping her heart as she accepted this fate. But as she crashed through the bottomless surf, the water welcomed her body with hands too soft, a grip too real, and the voice too satisfied as it echoed through her mind._

"But you already have."

 

Mari woke, a scream already on her lips as a cold sweat broke from her skin. Panting against the nightmare, she gazed about, wild-eyed, looking for what had woken her. Searching for the man in blue, for his intense eyes and soft hands. Could that have really been a dream? It felt so– "You there! Girl!" the harsh voice ripped through her thoughts, startling her as she twisted toward it, eyes coming to rest on an official looking man outfitted armor, the mark of a dragon on his chest. "Stand up!" Mari blinked at him, limbs shaking as she tried to rise.

"Get off your ass, girl!" A second voice came from beside her, a rough hand yanking at her arm. "You were right, it is her! Short hair, blue eyes. This is that girl Lord Nakago's looking for." At his words, fear lit up in her chest, blue light flaring from her skin as a thick wave of power pulsed through her. The guard was thrown clear off her arm, flung against the hard wall of the alleyway and knocked unconscious.

"Oh, shit." Mari cowered in the safety of the wild barrier, eyes wide as she held her hands protectively in front of her. She watched with horror at the remaining guard pounded on the shimmering light, pulling his hands away with a vicious hiss as it crackled against his assault, electrifying his skin.

"General!" His voice ripped through the air, scattering the remaining onlookers who hadn't already scurried away. "General, we found the girl!" Mari was too frightened to hear the footsteps approaching until it was too late. Until his shadow blocked the cloudy light leaking into the alleyway as he towered over her on horseback, gazing down at her with those cold, impassive eyes.

"Nakago." His name fell from her lips in a terrified whisper, Mari forgetting everything as she spun on her heel, barrier dissipating into air as she tried to run on weakened legs.

"How interesting." She heard his voice just moments before a searing pain struck between her shoulders, her weary body crumpling against the far wall. She hissed as her head cracked against the unyielding brick, her vision swimming in front of her eyes as the ground rose to meet her. She was dimly aware of the sound of booted feet approaching her, of a pair of arms circling her body, raising her roughly into the air. The sensation turned her stomach as her aching head lolled back on her neck, spinning the world upside down. "It seems Seiryuu has brought us a gift."

Mari wanted to scream. To claw her way free and keep running until she was safe. To run until she found her home and was safe in her bed again. She struggled to raise her head, eyes meeting Nakago's as he looked down at her, his mouth quirked into a strange, cruel smirk, his fair eyes glowing in the darkness of the alley. She managed to muster enough strength to plead her case one last time, voice weak.

"Please. Please... just let me go." She could hear her voice echoing in her ears, a pitiful whine, and she knew his answer before he even spoke. Her whole body shuddered in violent protest as the blue light glowed from the delicate marking on his forehead, disgusted at how right the power leaking from the man felt. She could feel her own, humming in time through her veins. Seiryuu's cursed gift to her. Her twisted reward for her betrayal, for leaving Su behind to save her own skin.

"I'm afraid that is simply not an option." he smiled at her, the light flaring until it burned her, the world slipping away from her once more.

* * *

_Music: What the Water Gave Me - Florence and the Machine_


	10. Who's Afraid of Houjun Ri?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The warriors try and decide what to do. Chichiri feels guilty.

The worn, dirty robes sat folded neatly on the table, the six assembled warriors staring at them silently. Returned to the palace that morning, they had been found hanging on the line with the freshly washed linens on a small farm near the Kutou border. Left in unspoken offering for the clothing that was stolen. The farmer had journeyed all this way to return them once he has spotted the royal crest upon the fine silks. Hotohori had sent him home with a small pouch of gold for his troubles, summoning the warriors to assemble immediately, as he had done anytime word of the wayward girl had passed his way in the weeks she'd been away.

"She'll be in Kutou by now." Hotohori sighed, sitting back in his chair as he massaged away the ache in his temples. "It took the man days to deliver these garments back to us. She is beyond our reach now."

"I still don't understand." Nuriko shook his head sadly. "She was such a kind girl. She seemed so innocent. Why would she wait all that time only to turn on us by running away? Why didn't she attack us outright? Chichiri, are you sure you heard her correctly?" All eyes fell to the monk, his usually smiling face stony as his brows knit together.

"I'm sure." he stated flatly, straightening his back defensively as he stared back at Nuriko. "I heard it clearly. She was being called to Kutou by Seiryuu himself." He cringed inwardly at the guilt he still felt for entering her mind that night. Over and over he told himself there was no need. That what he had done was right. The girl has deceived him, deceived them all. That there was always a serpent coiled, waiting to spring, hiding behind her smiling face. But why couldn't he shake the feeling that he had wronged her? That is was his fault she was wandering their lands, lost and alone.

"We have to cut our losses and move forward!" Tamahome cut through Chichiri's thoughts. "We don't have time to waste searching for her now. Miaka... summoning Suzaku... that should be our focus!"

"But what of the Lady Su?" Mitsukake cut in, countering Tamahome's outburst as he weighed their options. "If Miaka's friend is indeed priestess to the enemy, perhaps the Lady Mari is to play counter to Lady Su's mysterious gifts. We should be prepared for that."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Tasuki growled, crossing his arms. "Girl's been through the ringer the last few weeks, no thanks to us. I'm impressed she's still standing. She ain't gonna be too likely to cooperate until we stop treating her like a damn criminal." he snorted, a sarcastic huff of amusement, "Honestly, I don't blame her."

"Her friend turned out to be a spy for Kutou!" Tamahome spat at the bandit, devoid of any sympathy for the girl now that she had shown what he believed to be her true colors.

"Yeah, well Su's not! And it's not like she knew anythin' about it! Hell, 'Chiri couldn't even tell 'til he went an' listened in while she was sleepin'. If you want Su to help ya, ya gotta stop punishin' her."

"I agree." Nuriko pat Tasuki's hand with his own, offering the bandit a small smile. "We would never dream of treating Miaka this way. Why do we think it's right to not extend the same level of acceptance to Su?"

"Her presence is a mystery, Nuriko. There was never any mention of a woman other than the priestess." Hotohori sighed heavily, unsure of what to do. "There is no precedence for this, and this course of action is getting us nowhere!" he muttered hotly, fighting to maintain control of his regal bearing.

"That's what I've been trying to tell ya." Tasuki grumbled under his breath.

"Well, what do you suggest, then?" Hotohori humored him with the last shreds of his patience, casting a cool glance to his hot-headed comrade. Tasuki blinked, unprepared to actually answer. He hadn't thought anyone had been listening. The question gave him pause as he considered what he would want in Su's place.

"Girl needs a break. Send her on a trip or somethin'. Let 'er clear her head, get away from all the training and sideways glances."

"You want us to send her on holiday?" the emperor laughed at the idea. "Tasuki, we're on the brink of a war, in case you have forgotten."

"Highness, it isn't a terrible idea." Nuriko mused. "The time away might give her a good break. We all need a small rest. And perhaps if she is allowed to see the kingdom, it might inspire her to aid us in protecting it."

"Unless ya want to keep 'er locked up like a monster s'more." Tasuki smirked. "I mean, that seems to be workin' so very well."

* * *

  _All done_? Su's quiet voice threaded into his mind as he returned the necklace to its resting place around his shoulders.

_Yeah._

_Have they found her yet?_  He paused, trying to wall back the flood of emotion from the day's meeting and failing. She saw Mari's discarded robes in his mind's eye, a torn, dirty pile in front of the six warriors. She felt his pity as it wafted toward her, letting her know that they had reached another dead end. _Ah..._

_Hey, look, it doesn't mean she's gone for good._  he tried to reassure her. He hadn't lied earlier, It was a marvel that Su was still standing instead of sulking in her room day in and day out. It was what he had expected of her, and he found that he had been glad to be proven wrong. The past few weeks had been trying on the girl, spiraling her right back to where she had started when she arrived, save for a return trip to the dungeons. The Suzaku's trust in Su was shattered in all but Tasuki, who knew the truth of the girl's mind whether he had wanted to or not.

She had found a small comfort in the constant presence of the bandit at the back of her thoughts, quieter now that Mari and Chichiri had been lost from the link, the connection only remaining between the younger pair. She had expected him to turn on her as well, to see his eyes grow cold and suspicious as he looked at her, waiting for her to betray them. But instead he had continued on as if nothing had happened. He was still there every day, pulling her out of her chambers to test the limits of their strange connection. Devising little games to ease the strain on their mind. Kitchen raids, drinking matches, games of hide and seek on the palace grounds, Aanything to get her to forget about Mari's perilous run for a few precious hours. To keep her from disappearing into her own head.

_Thanks, Tas._  A wave of gratitude washed through him, the girl smiling weakly wherever she was. He shrugged her off, trying to play it cool. He hadn't done anything for her he wouldn't have done for one of his friends. And if he was being truthful with himself, Su had been keeping him from going crazy as much as he was doing the same for her. The girl never laughed at him. Never mocked his upbringing or rough ways. Never scolded him for eating too loud or drinking too much or any of the other lists of faults the other warriors seemed to find in him and his 'country upbringing'. She actually seemed to be interested in him. In stories of his mountain home and his life with the bandits. It was a nice change of pace, and one he was grateful for.

_So... how does a small trip sound to ya? I know this mountain, it's pretty nice this time of year..._

* * *

 Chichiri closed the doors to his chambers quietly, shutting out the day's conversations. Hiding himself away from the eyes that lingered on him as he tried to assure the warriors that he had acted correctly. Away from the doubt that lay in his heart as he played that night over in his mind once more, just as he had each night for the past several weeks. Analyzing it, turning it every which way. Trying to convince himself that he had been right. That he had saved them all from a terrible fate. That he had driven a demon from their midst before she could strike, destroying everything he had come to care about since he had joined the small band of warriors who were all that stood between their beloved Konan and the looming threat of Kutou's beastly armies.

But alone in the dark of his room, he still saw her as she had been before she ran. The girl with the kind smile who had patiently sat with him for hours on end each afternoon, even when he could feel the pounding in her head through their shared connection. Whose face had lit up when he had walked with her in the mornings, marveling at the magnificent gardens within the palace walls. Who had endured long hours of solitude without complaint as they stole her friend from her by inches. Who had thanked him for his kindness with a gentle embrace each day, even though there was truly nothing to thank him for other than frustration and a dull ache in her head that never seemed to leave her. Her quiet determination and focus was both why he had trusted her, and what tore his trust from her now. But still, she had named him friend, in words and in thought, and he had imagined that he had found a companion of sorts in the foreign girl as well.

Perhaps that's why his heart ached this way? He shook the thought away.

Her voice still echoed in his head, haunting him. Desperate as she pleaded with the beast god to leave her. As she screamed her betrayal in his mind. As she spoke his true name in that terrible moment before she tore the necklace from her throat, laced with so much sorrow and regret. Perhaps he had been hasty? He couldn't help wonder if he had acted too quickly, letting his shock get the better of him. She had been so terrified, then. He could still see her eyes, wide and frightened as her despair washed over him. In his mind, her face slowly twisted into other memories – a visage from his past, reaching for his hand as the waters rushed up around him. Crying his name.

_Houjun, please! Help me!_

He let his head fall to his hands, pulling the mask away in the dark of his room and tossing it to the side as anger roiled in his stomach. His fingertips played over the cruel scar that closed his eye forever to the world. A twisted badge he would always wear to mark his betrayal, Taken in payment for his inability to see what was happening in the world around him, and for his unwillingness to understand the hearts of others. And now he feared he was repeating his mistakes, so focused on anchoring this patched together band of warriors that he was blind to everything but the cause. Letting the past repeat itself as he focused on nothing more selfish than his own needs and desires. His head fell back, resting against the cool of the wall as he closed his eye to the world, clearing his mind with a deep breath. He has made his bed for good or for ill. Now he was destined to lie in it.

* * *

_Music:  It's Not Over - Daughtery_


	11. A Good Seishi is Hard to Find

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari learns Nakago's plans and ruins Tomo's makeup.

Mari gazed at the reflection in the mirror, watching as the pale doppelganger stared listlessly back. Her drawn face betrayed little as a handmaiden fussed over her, preparing her for the long day ahead. Allowing her eyes to fall closed, Mari forced her mind back over the events of the preceding weeks, running over the details, the faces, bringing them into sharp relief. Su's mischievous smile. Tasuki's twangy accent. The barely visible edges of Chichiri's mask. The sound of beads falling to stone.

"Lady Mari, you're growing thinner by the day." the woman murmured, quiet voice cutting through her thoughts. "You must eat."

"I do eat."

"Not enough. You're growing weaker..."

"That's not your concern." Mari's voice warmed in her frustration, eyes glaring resentfully through the glass at one of the few companions she'd been allowed over the weeks since her arrival in Kutou. The same woman, day in, day out, always there. Waking her, dressing her, straightening her bed in the mornings. Taking the robes from her shoulders and turning back the sheets as Mari collapsed, exhausted, every night. The maid knew well to not press the subject at this point.

"Yes, my lady."

"I believe this is all the preparation I need?" She cast the woman a final reproachful glance before striding to the door, opening it to the young man waiting outside her room.

"Good morning, Lady Mari." Amiboshi offered an arm, head bowing respectfully. "If you'll follow me?" Mari rested her fingers on the cloth of his sleeve, allowing the boy to spirit her away. A corner hid them from prying eyes soon enough, and they dropped the act, a small sigh of frustration falling from Mari's mouth.

"She's driving me crazy, Amiboshi! That woman's always there! Always talking, always fussing. I never get a moment alone; never have time to just think!" He rubbed a hand over her back, an apologetic smile crossing his lips.

"I'm sorry, Mae. It's just Lord Nakago's way of protecting you." Mari eyed the boy, fiddling with her sleeve as she fought with the temptation to spill her mind on Lord Nakago and shatter Amiboshi's naïve, misplaced trust in the man.

"I suppose you're right," she finally acquiesced, ignoring the feeling of guilt; the feeling she was doing more harm than good for the sweet boy. They continued in a companionable silence, Mari following the boy through and endless maze of hallways and ante-chambers, finally arriving at the grand wood doors of Seiryuu's temple.

"Good luck." Amiboshi whispered, squeezing her arm sympathetically. Mari cast him a small smile.

"Let's hope I don't need it." She pushed the doors open, entering the cool room, the smell of incense wafting over her in a sickly wave as her feet moved over the blue marble. The General of Kutou stood waiting, a small smirk on his face, ready for the days lesson.

It had been three weeks since Nakago had brought the weakened girl to the palace, and the doctors began nursing her back to health. The wild power that had shown itself in the scummy back alley held itself in check those first few days, a burning fever that chafed just under her skin. The general had waited patiently for her strength to return, a shadow in her sick room. Once the doctors had deemed her stable, she'd been put in an empty wing, the handmaiden, Amiboshi and Nakago the only ones she ever saw, day in and day out. From then on her days were filled with training her new powers - Nakago flinging blasts of energy at her, her shields and offensive strikes growing stronger over the weeks of being knocked around. She never felt very strong in the face of his great power, but he seemed close enough to pleased.

Amiboshi served as her escort, the sweet boy becoming the closest thing to a friend she had in the palace, eating with her and bringing her ice for the bruises and bumps. Once, finding her running from the training room in tears, he'd gently pulled her to a private parlor, playing his flute for her as the frustrated sobs wracked her. He listened when she talked, trying to understand her as best he could. Maybe he didn't always understand, but he tried. It was more than she could say for the rest of the people she'd met in this land.

Today Nakago invited her to attack him, that beautiful face smirking at her as he watched her brow furrowed and her hands raise before her. The light arced across the room, and the general deflecting it easily back to her, Mari's own shield absorbing her power back into itself. "Weak. Again." His calm demeanor prickled at her. The next strike shone brighter, hitting Nakago's shields with a resounding crash before flying back at her, stumbling her back with her own power. "Again." They continued this way for an hour, maybe more, Mari's strikes sometimes absorbing back into her own barriers, other times stumbling her backward, but never piercing the barrier of the man before her. After a particularly fierce strike threw her back, knocking her head against a wall, she had stayed down, head in her hands as she fought to keep her control. "Stand up. You're not done yet." his voice cracked over her. "There is no room for weakness in battle."

"I'm not in battle!" she snapped hotly. "I'll never fight for you!" He was across the room in three swift strides, plucking her from the ground by the neck of her fine, silk robes and pulling her to her feet.

"You  _will_  fight for me, Lady Mari. I would prefer it be of your own volition, but I have ways of molding you to my will if necessary." A cruel smile split his face, his voice a hiss in the quiet of the temple. "I pray for you that it's not necessary." He dropped her back against the wall, returning to his place beside Seiryuu's statue, hands rising before him once more. "Again."

* * *

Exhausted, she sagged through the doors at the end of the day, accepting Amiboshi's steady arm as he led her from the temple and leaning heavily against him as they moved toward the small room they took their meals in. "I can't do this anymore." Her voice was low, eyes on her half-eaten plate of food. She felt her stomach roiling at the memory of what Nakago had said. "I can't be the pet project of a madman." Amiboshi eyed her carefully, confused by the murmurings of the girl before him.

"What are you talking about, Mae?" Mari shook herself, favoring the boy with a tired smile.

"I'm sorry, 'Boshi. It was a long day." He returned her smile, happy to get away from the uncomfortable topic.

"Would you like me to play my flute for you again? It seemed to help last time." She smiled, moving to lay on the ground, head pillowed on her arms.

"That would be nice." Neither thought twice about the maid clearing their plates, the boy too occupied in his playing, the girl too lost in her thoughts of war.

* * *

 

It was later than normal the next morning when a soft knock at Mari's door pulled her handmaid away.

"Sorry, Amiboshi, I oversle-" she stopped mid-sentence, the opening door revealing a garishly painted man, better costumed for the opera than the palace. She knew him, a cold shiver running down her spine even as his name left her lips. "Tomo?"

"Yes. The Lord Nakago sent me to fetch you, Lady Mari." His voice came out a whining sneer, creeping up her spine. "His lordship will be most displeased with our punctuality, I fear." Mari eyed the man suspiciously.

"Where is Amiboshi?" He flipped his long hair, dismissing the subject.

"He's been called away. Now, shall we?" He strode down the hall without another word, Mari trailing cautiously in his wake. As they wove through the palace, Mari tried hard to pull the timeline to the front of her hazy, tired mind. Could it be true? Could everything be unfolding true to the story that she and Su had traced over, line by line, in their own time?

"So, Nakago finally sent him off to those fools in Konan, eh?" she smirked the words as she sidled up beside the painted man. She lied through her teeth, trying to coax what small scraps of information she could out of him. "I only wish I was there to watch it unfold." Tomo regarded her coldly, a small smile twisting at his lips as she wound her hands around his arm.

"Don't we all? I told him to send the boy months ago and get this out of the way, but he insisted on waiting." Tomo trailed off, shaking his head and continuing along, muttering quietly to himself. They turned a corner, coming into an empty receiving room just outside of the temple. Mari's hands flew out before her, blue light arching from them in a magnificent wave. Perhaps not enough to fell Nakago, but the power slammed into Tomo with all her repressed rage and frustration, sending the warrior's body across the room and slamming face first into a wall, his pretty makeup smearing against the pale stucco.

The impact shuddered through the building, guards sounding a warning in the hallway, their armor clinking as they hustled toward the room. They searched the corners, the closets, the hallways surrounding. They traced the steps, returned to her rooms, moving out to the palace proper, the courtyards, the town. But it was to no avail. They had underestimated the girl.

She was already gone.

Mari had learned her lesson the first time. She slipped from the palace, creeping to the stables and seizing a horse when the boy's back had been turned. She rode the beast hard, covering the expanse of countryside toward Konan and using the beast's energy up in her frantic flight through the land. She slept in barns and orchards, slept in the saddle, smarter this time, faster and tougher. She traded animals at well-appointed farms under the cover of dark, snatching vegetables from people who wouldn't miss them and stopping only when she had to.

A new day was dawning when she reached the city center, slipping from a hay wagon she had snuck onto at the outskirts of the city. Tugging a stolen cloak close around her, Mari hurried along toward the palace, eyes sharp for a familiar blonde head, an out of place blue jacket, the ubiquitous flute. She didn't know how, but she found him shortly after she had entered the city. The boy was only just strolling through the streets of Konan, eyes large as he took in the unfamiliar city.

"Amiboshi!" Mari's voice cut through the peace of the dawn, the boy wincing at the eyes that turned toward them. He hurried toward Mari, grabbing her arms and dragging her into the mouth of a shadowy alley.

"What are you doing here, Mari?" The boys face pinched as he hissed at her, eyes darting to the head of the alley. "How did you get out of Kutou? Does Nakago–"

"Of course Nakago doesn't know I'm here!" she snapped. "I ran away to find you. Listen to me, 'Boshi, you can't do this. I can't tell you why, but I can't let you go through with this. You have to go back to Kutou. Please?"

"What are you talking about, Mae?" He shook his head at her. "How do you–" She didn't let him finish, grabbing his face in both hands and forcing him to look in her eyes. To pay attention to her words as she pleaded with him.

"Please, 'Boshi! You have to trust me. Go back to Kutou. Stay away from Konan. Don't–" A cry at the head of the alley cut her entreaty short, shattering the peace of the morning with clanking metal and stomping feet.

"There she is!"

"Run!" She shoved Amiboshi down the alley, watching as the boy hesitated, still confused at her words. "Go home! Never come back to Konan! Stay safe!" She watched Amiboshi flee down the alley, hands already grabbing her arms as the boy turned the corner. The soldiers were rough, forcing her to the ground as they ensured she bore no weapon, binding her hands with a rough rope. It took everything within her to fight down the magic that threatened to break free, boiling just under her skin as they pulled her roughly to her feet.

Once again, a prisoner. Once again, captured. 

* * *

_Music: Serpent Charmer - Iron and Wine_

 


	12. Broke Bandit Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone cheats at poker

"Read 'em an' weep, Genrou ol' buddy!" the scarred bandit slammed his hand down on the considerable pile of loot, grin flashing as he watched the two eye his hand with loud groans.

"You cheated!" Tasuki whined, tossing his cards face down in front of him.

"Of course I did!" Kouji smirked at him, reaching for the pile and yanking back his hand as Su smacked it, leaning forward on the table as she fanned herself theatrically with her hand of cards.

"Not so fast, boys." She lowered her cards one by one until a winning hand shone up at the two bandits, their jaws hanging slack. " _You_  read them and weep. And then pay up!" she giggled, pulling a cup to her lips and drinking deeply in victory.

"Geez, where'd you find this one, Boss?" Kouji picked up one of Su's cards, looking at it before tossing it with a lazy smile back into the small treasure pile that had accumulated as they drank more and their bets had become more bold. Su fished a golden bracelet out of the loot, pulling it onto her wrist and admiring it. "She cheats better than the both of us!"

"I didn't cheat!" Su pulled herself out of her drunken preening as she protested the accusation, hands crossed defiantly over her chest. "It's not my fault you're both terrible at cards once you get drunk." With a shrug, she scooped the pile toward her corner of the small table, a noise very close to a cackle escaping her lips.

"Geez woman, you should have been born a bandit!" Tasuki protested, falling to his back on the floor, letting his eyes trail up to the once familiar ceiling. He had missed his mountain home more than he had let on. The small excursion had seemed to do both he and Su a world of good. The return had lightened his spirits some, and the general lack of decorum had allowed Su to finally relax.

_So what part of the cut do you want?_  Her voice wound into his head, laughter tinting the tones a rosy hue.

_The dagger, at the least. An' those blue earrings. Heh. I wasn't kidding, ya know. Kouji should really hire you on._  His eyes tilted to look up at her smiling face.  _You're not half bad at this._

_Well, I had a good teacher._  She offered him a shy smile, turning her gaze away and hiding her face in the curtain of her hair to keep Kouji from suspecting that they had been in cahoots the entire time they had swindled him out of his best loot.

"Well, that's it for me." Su scooped her winnings into the folds of her skirt, creating a makeshift bag out of the excess material. She rose of her feet, stretching out the kinks in her knees from sitting so long. "See you boys in the morning. Stay out of trouble, we have a long day ahead." she warned playfully, disappearing from the room as she sought out her bed at the late hour. Kouji watched her go, eyes curious as they flicked back to Tasuki, a slow smile creeping across his face.

"So the Boss and the girl, eh Kouji? Seems that way to me, Kouji." Tasuki snorted, rising from the floor to give Kouji a half-hearted shove.

"S'not like that, Kouji."

"Hey, whatever you say, Boss." The smirk still sat plastered to his face as he leaned back from the table, settling against the soft cushions at his back. Every bit the picture of the lazy bandit king. "Think Gen's gonna tell us how he's really feelin'? I dunno, Kouji, why don't you ask him? That wouldn't be polite, Kouji... So, Gen, you ready to go back tomorrow?" Tasuki sighed, long and heavy. He had almost let himself forget the brief foray had drawn to its inevitable end, the palace and the warriors awaiting his return.

"Dunno, 'Ji. It's been nice gettin' away, ya know? Not having to be paradin' around all the time, pretendin' to be someone. It's so much easier here. I know who I am here. There... well, it ain't so clear."

"Can't you just stay?" Kouji pressed, the ever-present smile finally leaving his face. "We can just send Su back. You can stay here, take over the gang again. I don't mind steppin' aside if it's you that's comin' back."

"Nah. Can't. It's an all or nothin' type deal. 'Sides, someone has to keep that girl in line." he let a wolfish smirk cross his lips.

"Not like 'that', huh? You sure you're not going soft on me, Gen?" Kouji spared his longtime friend a sideways glance, laughing as Tasuki glared at him. "Alright, alright, just foolin'. 'Sides, I had a broad who cheated at cards that good, I'd be keepin' an eye on her, too." That comment earned him an outright smile as Tasuki chuckled.

"What can I say? Girl's a natural." Tasuki hopped to his feet, stretching with a loud yawn. "See ya in the morning, Kouji."

"Yeah. Night, Gen." Kouji watched as his friend left the room, chewing his lip thoughtfully as a crooked grin lit his face. Something was definitely up between the two. He was only sad that he was going to miss watching it unfold stuck up on his mountain.

* * *

Mari sat in her cell, patiently biding her time. She knew they would come eventually. There was no way they wouldn't. She only had to wait, marking the passing minutes in her head and trying her best not to jump each time the sound of footsteps reached her ears, stirring a twinge of fear in her heart as the time ticked by.

"On your feet, girl!" She jumped in her dark corner, unaware that she had started to doze off as the voice startled her back to waking. She squinted past the too bright lantern at the bars, unable to make out the faces behind it. She complied quietly, standing to face her visitors, trying her best to hold her head high. To not look frightened.

"Mari." She recognized the voice long before he lowered the lantern, the honorific of 'lady' abandoned in the face of her betrayal. Chichiri's masked face came into view as her eyes adjusted, smiling as always, despite the seriousness of his voice. "You've returned." It was a statement, not a question, hanging heavily in the air between them. Her eyes grew cold as she remembered the last time she had laid eyes on him, his false face hovering over her as he sat crouched in her mind, unbidden and unwelcome.

"Yes."

"Why?" The question hung in the air between them, a thousand endings hanging on the one word in his mind. Why did she run? Why did she come back? Why did she betray them for the Seiryuu? Why had she haunted his thoughts since she had fled? She shook her head at him, her mouth opening and closing silently as she struggled to find the right words to make him understand. Eventually, she gave up, hanging her head.

"Does it matter? I'm here, and I'm locked away where I can't hurt anyone anymore. Isn't that enough?"

"You left us no choice." he protested quietly. "If you had just told us. If you have let me know-"

"That Seriyuu was whispering in my ear? That he wouldn't let me rest until I went to him? Let him turn me into a weapon?" She laughed outright at him, her lips twisting into a mirthless smile. "Would you had believed me to be good if I had told you? If I told you I was trying to fight it?" Her words stole the air from his lungs. He couldn't look at her then, his gaze falling away.

"One cannot ignore the summoning of a god." She was right, and he knew it. The words would have met the same reaction whether they had fallen from her lips willingly instead of stolen from her sleeping mind. Either way, she would have found herself exactly where she was now. If not at his hands, then by another one of the Suzaku.

"No, but one can try. And I did try, Chichiri. I did. I was trying so hard." her voice wavered slightly as she sat on the small, dirty cot in the corner of her cell, turning her face away from him.

"For what its worth, I believe you were." She didn't turn to look at him, but he watched as the tension drained from her shoulders, the girl deflating as she rested her head against the cold stone.

"Will that belief earn me my freedom, eventually?" The question hung between them for a moment as he looked for the answer. "Will it earn me your forgiveness?"

"I don't know." She remained still, her back presented to him. With a sigh, he collected his lantern, leaving her alone in the darkness once more. As he walked away, he almost mistook her voice for a distant echo.

"Chichiri?" He held the lantern up, the light falling on her face as she held onto the bars. He returned to her, watching with a strange sadness as she tried not to cringe away from him. "Su. Is she ok?" He knew he shouldn't speak of Su to her. Not when her motives were still so unknown to him. But the guilt that gnawed at him wouldn't let him remain silent.

"She is." he assured her, reaching for her hand without thinking. A soft blue glow lashed out from her fingertips without warning as she stepped back, the light cracking against his skin as it enveloped her in a protective ball of light. Her hands flew to her lips, eyes wide as the glow dissolved around her.

"Oh, no! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" The panicked words tumbled from her lips, her hand reaching for him through the bars as he backed away. "I didn't mean to. I'm just... I got scared. So many people have been rough with me and I... oh gods, I'm sorry." She let her hand drop, fingers closing around the empty air as she stepped back, falling to her knees. She hid her tears in her hands, shoulders shaking quietly as she tried to smother her choked sobbing.

All the doubt he had harbored these weeks found its way to the forefront, breaking over him as he watched her sit broken on the floor, barely a shadow of the girl he had met before. Enemy or no, this was his doing and the thought of that made his heart feel weighted with lead, pulling his knees to the floor, the lantern resting forgotten at his side. He had done this to her, and it tore at him. Another life he had stolen from its owner; another person he cared about hurt by his selfishness. His hand rose to his face, tearing the mask away as he looked at her, truly looked at her, for the first time.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen. Not like this." she looked up at him and he braced himself, expecting her shock, her fear, as she looked at him for the first time. The real him, Houjun Ri. Scarred and imperfect and drowning under the weight of his mistakes. It shocked him as her hand crept through the bars, fingers reaching tentatively forward, eyes meeting as she silently asked his permission. He closed his eye against her gaze, heat rising to his face as her fingers traced a path over the scars few had seen, and no one had ever touched. A small noise escaped his throat as her fingertips found the raised skin, somewhere between a sob and a sigh.

The anguish on his face, the color blooming in his cheeks – it tugged at her, brought the legend surrounding the man to her mind. The past she had learned from the pages of an ancient book. Everything had changed in the story she and Su had once known by heart once they had come crashing through its pages. It was too easy to forget that the tale they had swooned over in their time was real for the people they had met here. People with a depth words on a page could never dream of capturing. Through the fear, the pain, the frustration that this man before her had caused, she could still see his intent. Despite everything, she found she could forgive him, her head nodding as she traced the evidence of his pain.

"I know, Houjun." The calm sympathy of her voice summoned his gaze once more. "You've acted out of concern for the people you love. You don't know me. You don't know Su. You can't trust us. You did what most people would do in your situation. I... I think I can understand." He caught her fingers as they gently pulled from his face, wrapping the delicate hand in both of his.

"Let me." he begged her softly, a desperate need to save this girl driving him, even though he couldn't explain why. It coursed through him as he held her hand in his own, feeling her long fingers curl around his. "Let me get to know you. Let me learn how to trust you." His eye burned into hers. "We can work together to wrest your mind from Seiryuu; we can work together to fight against Kutou."

"You make it sound like such a simple thing."

"It won't be easy," he agreed. "but let me try to help? I can't leave you trapped down here with no hand in your own fate. I can't be the one who trapped you down here. Please?" A small, sad smile twisted her lips, her thumb running over his knuckles.

"There's nothing we can do but try."

* * *

"Don't look."

"I'm not lookin', lady, now just calm down."

_...You want to look._

_Quit tryin' to spy in my head, you brat! Ain't no way – just 'cause you're a girl, don't be thinkin'... Are you done yet, anyway?!_

_Ugh, all these damn layers. Almost._

_Heh. Serves you right for being a terror._

"Shut up and tie my sash, bandit." Su popped out from behind her borrowed horse, holding the dress closed in the front as she waded through the tall grass to where boy leaned against his horse. Presenting her back to him, she grinned over her shoulder as he straightened with a beleaguered sigh. "Hey buddy, it's your fault for knowing how to do it better than me."

"'S'what happens when you got five older sisters." he muttered, concentrating on pulling the material tight around her waist, tucking and tying with quick, practiced hands.  _Girl draggin' me off my mountain at dawn, makin' me stop in a damn field to help her change. What was wrong with what you were wearin', anyway?_

_They sent me out looking like a lady, I'll be damned if I ride in looking like a bandit._

"What's wrong with lookin' like a bandit?!" he squawked.

"Nothing! Goddamn. I just don't want to give them more reason to distrust me." She shrugged a shoulder, turning as he finished tying. "How do I look?" He took in the grinning girl before him, the bright gown glowing against her tanned skin, eyes dancing mischievously as she swept a hand through her wild mop of brown hair.  _A complete wreck, right? C'mon, you can tell me._

_Uh... no... I, uh..._  The sound of galloping hooves cut through his half-blocked, stammering train of thought, both teens turning toward the approaching animal as the man on its back called out across the plain.

"Lord Tasuki! Lady Su!" He pulled the horse to a stop before them, breathless in his mission. "The emperor sent me to fetch you. The Seiryuu traitor was found trying to breach the palace walls late yesterday. His Highness bids you come at once."

_Mari!_  Su's growing control on the connection between them faltered and fell with the man's words, her emotions racing through the boy to her side in a confusing tumult. _Seiryuu traitor, why? What will they do? Where has she b– Kutou... She's back! The guards, what will they? Have to get to– Have to go, have to go NOW!_

_Su, wait–_  his thought came too late, the previously proper girl hiking up the silks wrapped around her, flinging herself into the saddle of her shaggy horse, heels jabbing the creature into a quick run. Tasuki cursed aloud, clambering to make chase after her, the guard hard at their backs.

_Gods be damned, can't you at least wait for me?!_

* * *

_Music: Mountain Sound - Of Monsters and Men_


	13. Are You There, Gods? It's Me, Mari.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of yelling. Mari gets 1000 years dungeon.

The animal's hooves clattered over the cobblestones of the market, beast and woman hurtling past the guards at the palace gate. She had abandoned the warrior and guard at the city entrance, the two men waylaid by the soldiers there, searching for papers of travel and letters from the emperor. She'd given no thought to her identification, pushing her horse past barricades and guards, mind focused solely on the reappearance of her friend. Dismounting from the mare, Su ran through the courtyard, feet racing to the palace dungeons, breathless as she flew past the warden, voice ringing out against the stone walls. "Mari?! Mari!"

"Su?"

"Mari!" Su ripped her arm from the man who tried to restrain her, charging down the hallway toward the voice. Toward the only person in this land she could call home. Fingers wrapping around the bars, she peered into the cell, hand reaching in with a delighted laugh as Mari's face came clear in the gloom. As their fingers met, each girl was seized with the shock of their divine gifts, power flaring into wild, angry light around them. Mari pushed the magic back down, striving to shelter her friend, but a moan parted Su's lips as the expanse of her magic flooded her synapses. Crossing the palace courtyard, Tasuki seized his head with a grunt of pain, stumbling in his purposeful stride toward the dungeons. The rambling, frenetic buzz that was Su vanished from his mind, a rage filled voice burning in its stead.

_Seiryuu's Child! Why have you invaded my land?_

A shout from the dungeons summoned the men from the palace proper, guards rushing around the boy as he struggled to shut the normally docile mental link, finally resorting to yanking the necklace over his head. Following the men into the prison, Tasuki pushed his way to the front, tessen at the ready as he broke their ranks, freezing like the men around them as he struggled to comprehend the sight before him. Su stood before a cell, the red light of her power crackling fiercely about her, long hair whipping in a preternatural wind. One hand extended before her, fingertips inches from the bars of a cell.

"Su?" Mari's voice came, faint and wavering from beyond the bars. The voice that responded echoed through the minds of all present, a powerful sound, beautiful and cruel in its fury.

_How dare you enter my lands, child of Seiryuu! Come to sow pain and disharmony among my ranks? Come to tear apart the warriors from inside? I shan't allow your ludicrous lies to sully my army!_ As the voice fell silent, a fiery ball of power left Su's extended hand, flying at Mari, the blue shield of power surrounding the older girl dissolving the fiery attack easily. An angry, bird-like cry echoed from the stone walls as Su's magic flared, bolts of power rushing through the bars, swift and angry as they rained down on the girl within.

Mari felt her own magic straining against the onslaught. Her eyes searched the girl, looking for any sign of her friend in the hovering being before her. Su's unseeing rage was fueled by something bigger and more powerful than any feeling of abandonment or betrayal the girl might have harbored. This wasn't her friend any more – an ancient power had taken over. With this realization, Mari forced a wave of energy from her hands, the power washing into Su, knocking the girl backward into the bars opposite. Her head slammed hard against metal before her body fell prone to the ground.

"Su!" Mari's voice ripped from her, anguished as she heard her friend's head crack against the unyielding bars, body crumpling to the floor in a boneless heap. She reached for the girl, fingers grasping at the air between them. Tasuki rushed to Su's side, turning over the unconscious girl in his arms.

"Tasuki, is she ok? Please tell me I didn't ki...ki..." She couldn't bring herself to speak the words as the bandit lowered her friend gently to the ground. A low snarl escaped the boy as he wheeled on her, charging the cell to thrust his tessen in her face, metal already glowing. Wide blue eyes stared with shock into his rage filled face, her dark hair rising to swirl around her as her magic rose, unbidden. She turned her head with a cry as she heard him speak the words to summon his fire forth, the heat raging around her in the tiny space. As the roar subsided, Mari cowered, untouched amidst the smoldering wreckage of what was once the meager furnishings of her cell, the bars glowing an eerie red between them.

"Why did you have to come back?" he roared at her. "She was finally startin' to feel better! Finally startin' to forget about you leavin' her behind to go cozy up to the Seiryuu."

"Cozying up to... is that what you think I ran away for?" she stammered at him, anger leaking into her eyes, erasing the fear as she got to her feet, stepping closer to the bars to stare down the bandit.

"Chichiri told us what he saw in your mind. We know Seiryuu was calling you to them. We know you're one of them now."

"I will never be one of them!" she roared back, stilling the chatter in the hall as her voice split the air, the rims of her irises glowing unnaturally blue as her magic stirred. "Never!"

"Just like you'd never hurt her?" He jerked his chin in Su's direction, the girl still laid out gently on the floor. "You're nothing but a coward!"

"You think I'm a coward?" her voice was low with warning. "You don't know a damn thing about me, Tasuki. What it cost me to come back here. What I've been through since I arrived in this miserable story you call a life. And you call me a coward? You just wait and see what your god has in store for you, then you can talk to me about being a coward. Once they are gone and you're the only one left standing with nothing but your failure for company!" Tasuki only stared at her, mouth snapping open and closed as he tried to make sense of the words her anger had ripped from her. She blinked back at him, her rage draining away as the glow left her eyes, gasping as she realized what she had said. "Tasuki, I didn't mean..."

"Shut up. Just shut up." He turned his back on her, gathering up Su's still form in his arms. He turned to look at Mari one more time, the girl standing silently in the middle of her destroyed cell. "If you care about her at all, just leave her alone."

He's lost track of the time that had passed after he had carried Su from the dungeons. Depositing her in Mitsukake's waiting arms without a word, he'd followed the healer into the palace, leaving the assembled warriors to stand, confused, in the courtyard. He held his breath as she was laid out on her bed, green light reflecting strangely on her skin as Mitsukake tried his best to heal away her hurts. His eyes strayed over her, frowning at the torn gown that he had helped dress her in earlier that day. Remembering her smile as she stood in the sun.

She hadn't ever been aware of it. How her cries in the night pulled them from their sleep as she had wept for Mari after she had ran away. It was breaking their hearts slowly, small cracks in the armor of the phoenix warriors. It hadn't even been a week since the night terrors had ceased, the girl finally finding a modicum of peace outside the palace walls. And now this is what she had lying in wait for her return.

"Tasuki?" Mitsukake's face swam before him, his hand shaking the boy's shoulder gently.

"Hmmm?" he shook his thoughts away, pulled back to the present moment.

"She will sleep for a while. She sustained a large blow to the head; it will take her time to recover from that. But she'll be fine. Someone will need to stay with her. I'll call one of the servants to-"

"I'll do it." Tasuki's tone left no room for argument, Misukake considering the boy briefly before inclining his head.

"Please send word when she wakes." He was gone from the room a moment later, leaving Tasuki alone with the sleeping girl.

_Hey, can you hear me?_ he pushed gently, trying to brush against her mind to reassure himself that she was going to truly be alright. Su? A heavy silence was all he found, and he withdrew, letting his gaze fall to her still face. She looked so calm as she slept. A far cry from the vengeful avatar of their god. Just a girl. _What's so damn special about you, huh?_ he asked her, feeling safe in her silence. _When did you stop being a stupid girl?_ He took her hand, covering it in his as he held fast to her, the desire to keep her safe almost unsettling in its intensity.

He couldn't help but chew over Mari's words to him earlier. They rang in his ears still, holding a gravity he couldn't seem to place. He had never really questioned it before, the strange things the two would say when they had been together. Things that had slipped by. Their understanding of their half of the mental link. Little things they seemed to know about Miaka and her friend Yui. Little things they had seemed to know about them.

The way Mari always seemed to be looking through Chichiri's mask. The way Su had recognized his mountain before he had even spoken its name. Very little seemed to genuinely surprise these two strangers. It made him wonder what Mari had truly meant when she has spoken to him earlier. When she had warned him of Suzaku's plan. Perhaps it was a trick to make them doubt themselves. The true purpose of what the Seriyuu warrior had sent her back to do.

But then why did it bother him so deeply?

_Once they are gone and you're the only one left standing with nothing but your failure for company..._

The words echoed over and over in his mind, wearing him down as the afternoon stretched on.

* * *

She was already in chains by the time they arrived in the dungeons, left in the room churned to ashes by Tasuki's fire. A fair smudge against the scorched stone. She had been stripped to barely anything, the flimsy shift doing nothing to keep away the cold as she trembled on her knees, arms high over her head.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hotohori asked, his voice cold as he addressed Mari, careful to not approach too closely.

"I didn't mean any harm." Mari's voice was weak as her eyes remained downcast.

"After all the kindness we have shown you! The hospitality we have extended... still you see fit to betray us, not once, but twice?" She cringed under his accusation, head hanging down in front of her, her hair shadowing her face.

"Highness." Nuriko placed a gentling hand on the emperor's sleeve, trying to calm the man's fury. "Mari. Why did you come back?"

"I was trying to stop the Seiryuu." Mari's face lifted to the kindness of Nuriko's voice. "I know you won't believe me, but its the truth."

"But still, you left us for Kutou. You ran." It was the truth, but the lack of judgement in Nuriko's voice didn't make it hurt any less. Mari stared at the ground, willing the tears streaking down her cheeks away, to no avail.

"It was my fault." Chichiri's voice broke the silence, attracting the attention of the small group. "I chased her from us. If I had offered her help, protection, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"But 'Chiri!" Tamahome protested, "I thought you said-"

"I was wrong!" The young fighter's mouth snapped shut at the monk's outburst, eyes wide. "I take full responsibility. And now I ask that you graciously allow me the opportunity to fix my mistake."

"We cannot let her leave the dungeons." Hotohori glared at Mari, watching as she turned away in shame, "Unchecked, she is a danger to us all."

"He's right, Chichiri." she whispered. "Please just leave me here until the war's over. I've caused enough damage."

"I don't believe that." He pulled the mask from his face, steady gaze unwavering as his scarred visage startled the beauty-obsessed emperor. "If you have ever trusted me, please, trust me now." The two men held each others gaze a long moment before Hotohori nodded slowly.

"Very well. But she is not to leave the dungeons. On this I will not waver." Chichiri only bowed his head, stepping aside as the warriors filed out of the dim hallway. The emperor paused in front of the monk, meeting his eyes to whisper soft words for his ears alone. "For all our sakes, I hope your faith in the girl is not misguided. She will not survive another betrayal if you are wrong."

"Understood, Highness." Waiting for the emperor to disappear, Chichiri turned to the warden at the heavy click of the great doors. "Open the cell."

"My lord, His Highness commanded-"

"Open the cell. Immediately." Chichiri's tone brooked no argument. Grumbling, the warden took the heavy ring off of his belt, fumbling through before pulling one out of the jangling mess and fitting it neatly in the lock. "Now let her down, and find a suitable cell for her. She will not remain here in this mess." The men knew better than to question him at this point, releasing the manacles around Mari's wrists one at a time until she fell free, body curling over her knees as she pulled her arms in protectively, long fingers curling around the bruises on her wrists. His hand found her back, rubbing small circles between her shoulders to ease the ache that had formed while she had hung from the wall. Her body shook under his hand as she tried valiantly not to cry.

"I should never have come back here. Su... I could have... could've... killed her." Her voice was rough with unshed tears as he took her gently by the shoulders, lifting her from her protective crouch to pull his cloak around her shoulders.

"You don't have to hold it in, Mari. You don't have to pretend anymore." Despite his kind words, Chichiri watched with a heavy heart as the tears began to slip down her cheeks, eyes closing tightly to try and stem the flow. He pulled her head to his shoulder, his hand finding her hair as she gasped great, wracking sobs, her tears soaking into his shirt to burn against his skin. "I don't know what the Seiryuu did to you. I don't know why you're here. But we'll find out. I'll fix this, I promise." Her hand curled into the soft fabric of his shirt, clinging to him as she cried out her fear, sobs dying away into small, choked whimpers over time as he soothed her, quietly rocking her like a young child in a night terror. Eventually, Mari stilled, her breathing deep and even as he realized she had cried herself to sleep in his arms.

* * *

_Music: Margaret in Captivity - The Decemberists_


	14. Do Seishi Dream of Warrior Sheep?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets a minute to be cute before Chichiri goes droppin' eaves.

With a sigh, Tasuki woke to the odd sensation of tentative fingers trailing through his hair as he opened his eyes into darkness.  _You awake?_  Su's voice brushed against his mind softly, barely a whisper. He struggled to keep still, willing her continue to part the fiery strands. As her nails trailed pleasantly against his scalp, ghosting along his jaw, he yearned to push into her touch.  _You know I can tell you're awake, right?_  the voice smiled in his head, her thumb brushing over his cheekbone. He squeezed the hand still wrapped in his, letting his eyes slide open once again as Su's curious fingers traced along his features.

_I know._  Lifting his head from the bed, he blinked away the sleep as he sought out her face through the shadows, drawing her hand close to brush the knuckles against his lips. A small smile was on her lips as she gazed at him from where she was nestled among the pillows.

"Thank you for staying with me." she whispered, fingers pushing the hair from his eyes. He nodded, face solemn.

"I was worried. You, uh... ya weren't yerself." Her brow furrowed as her teeth worried her lower lip.

"I don't remember what happened." Su admitted. "I was running toward Mari in the dungeon, and then I was waking up here. With you." Su fidgeted as anxiety crept up her spine, scared to give voice to the questions pressing at her.  _What happened to me, Tas? Is Mae okay?_   _Am... am I okay?_ The boy moved from his seat to the edge of the bed.

"She's fine. You're fine. You... you were... possessed, I guess?"

"I was what?!" Su shot up from the pillows, eyes wide.

Tasuki winced, shaking his head as he tried to explain. "We all heard Suzaku's voice comin' from you. Angry at 'Seiryuu's Child'. Yer magic was... well, it looked like it had taken over. It was fightin' 'gainst Mari when she knocked ya out." He scowled, eyes sliding to dance over the dark of the room.  _I told her it was better to leave you alone from now on._

_Leave me alone?_

_Yeah. To stop hurtin' you. She needs to stay down there. Where she belongs._

_What?! Why?_

_She hurt you!_

"Tasuki, she's my best friend!" Su cried aloud. "She was probably reacting to being locked up in a dungeon and seeing her friend's body taken over by... well, whatever it was."

"You didn't see what happened!" he blustered back. "She attacked you, plain and simple." Reaching up, he tucked her hair back, large hands softly cradling her face as he tried to make himself known. "I just don't want you goin' 'round her 'til we can figure out what's goin' on, Su." The girl closed her eyes, leaning into the calloused hands as she sought to keep her anger in check.

"Tasuki, you can't tell me what to do. I'm not one of your bandits. You're not my leader, or my father, or my boyfriend, or anything!" Opening her eyes, Su was confounded by the boy's face, amber eyes growing stormy as she realized that she could detect pain in his mind leaking around a wall he was struggling to put up between them.

"I... I thought we... I mean, I thought that..." he trailed off, eyes darting over her features as he searched for the words.

_Thought what, Tas?_

_No. No, no...  
_

_Tas', tell me._

"I can't." he shook his head, releasing her to run his shaking hand through his hair. "I can't, I'm sorry. I jus'... I can't do this no more." Standing from the bed, Tasuki strode quickly to the door, hesitating with his hand on the doorknob to look back at Su, where she sat, bewildered, in the middle of the vast bed.

_I'm sorry.  
_

_Tasuki, don–_ Her voice broke off as he pulled the necklace that constituted their mental bond over his head, pushing it deep into his pocket as he left the room. He hurried down the hallway, unable to escape before hearing the soft tears in the voice that called his name behind him.

* * *

Chichiri woke to the strange sensation of something soft tickling his nose. Dimly aware of the pressure of a head on his arm, a body cradled against him; his cheek pressed to the warmth of a forehead. His eye fluttered open, brow furrowing as he struggled to place where he was, gazing down at the woman in his arms.

Mari.

He blinked the sleep away slowly, exhaling deeply and watching as his breath stirring the hair where it framed her face. It had been years since he'd held another person so close. The intimacy was overwhelming; a fluttering feeling he could barely place swirling in his chest as she nuzzled closer, her warm body pressed along the length of his on the too small cot. Limbs a tangle as they draped over each other, her body half on top of his as they made the best of the space afforded them.

She'd fallen asleep in his arms just before the warden had come to escort her to the new cell. He had refused to wake her, instead carrying the girl to the new room, laying her in the bed and tucking her beneath his own cloak in lieu of the moth-eaten covers. As he'd moved to leave, tried to take his arms from around her, a tiny mewl left her throat, fingers clutching at his sleeve.

"Please. Stay a little longer." She didn't even open her eyes, the words seeming to come from her unconscious. No matter – he couldn't deny her, now. He'd sat on the bed beside her, fingers stroking her hair, a quiet song humming under his breath. He must have fallen asleep.

Mari's eyes opened slowly, sleepily focusing on his. The sight of them sent a shiver down Chichiri's spine, a hand gripping at his heart. He hadn't found himself in this situation in, oh, too long. Slowly, red stained her cheeks as she blinked away the last of her dreams and she realized exactly where she was.

"I-" she sat up suddenly, her hand falling to his chest as she pushed herself gently out of his arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep."

"Neither did I." he smiled apologetically, making to stand as they disentangled from each other awkwardly. "It wasn't my intention to stay."

"Thank you. For staying, I mean." Her eyes fell to her lap as she pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders, fingers curling in the soft fabric.

"Of course." A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched her yawn the last of the night's sleep away. "I'll start looking through the archives today. There has to be something to explain all of this. I promise you, if the answer is there, I'll find it." he turned from her, calling for the warden as he conjured a mask to his hand.

"Chichiri, wait." Mari's hand was on his arm, unexpected as he turned to look at her. "Let me help? It's not like I'll have much else to do. Just a book and a lantern, that's all I need. Please. I need something to distract me from..." she trailed off, smiling weakly at him. As her fingers dropped from his sleeve, Chichiri fit his mask neatly back into place, the fox-like smile returning once more to hide him from her gaze.

"Mari, you don't have to do that."

"But I want to!" she pleaded with him, her hand finding the fabric of his sleeve and holding fast until his false smile widened. There was a quiet determination in her eyes, a focus that he couldn't recall before she had ran from them, and he found it difficult to ignore. "Please. Let me help."

"Very well. I'll see what I can do." Her face lit up at his words, breaking into a wide smile that stole his breath at the familiar swell of affection in his chest.

"You there, girl, back up against the wall." The warden's voice cut through the moment as he glared into the cell. Mari dropped her hold on Chichiri's sleeve, smile fading as she backed away. When her shoulders touched against the far wall, the warden opened the gate for Chichiri, waiting until the monk was through before slamming it shut with a resounding finality. The warden didn't bother to linger. What the monk wished to do with her afterwards was beyond his care or concern. Chichiri turned back to the Mari, his fingers wrapping around the bars.

"I'll return as soon as I can." he assured her.

"I'll be here." Mari's mouth twisted into a small smirk at the joke as she pulled his cloak from her shoulders, holding it out to him through the bars. "And here, thank you for this." He gently pushed her hand back, careful to avoid her bruised wrists. The ugly purple marks only steeled his resolve to help her.

"Please, hold on to it for now. You need it more than I do." He let his fingers linger on hers for a moment before remembering himself. "Until I return." He managed to pull himself away, to leave her there as he strode down the hallway with a purpose, the heavy blanket of guilt that had plagued him for the past several months finally beginning to lift from his shoulders.

* * *

"I said no, Lady Su, and that is final!"

"I'm sorry, Warden, but I'm pulling rank. I'm seeing Mari, and you can't stop me." The girl stared the man down, letting her ire take form in a slight red glow over her person. "Or would you care to test that?" The man scowled, leaning down to pencil her name in the ledger, muttering under his breath.

"Lord Tasuki isn't gonna like this." Light seared across the room from the girl's hand, painting a charred streak across the dungeon wall, narrowly missing the warden's head as he dove from his chair.

"Screw what the bandit likes!" she snarled, seizing the warden's previously occupied chair to drag behind her as she stalked to her friend's cell. She had not slept much, mind retracing the argument in the dark of her room, bewildered tears giving way to confused frustration ceding to the all-out wretchedness that led her stalking through the palace in a righteous fury this morning.  _This mood will never do._ She took a deep breath, stilling her inner turmoil as she rounded the corner, working to pull her magic under control as she pulled level with the door to Mari's cell. Setting the chair against the wall opposite, she turned toward the bars, brow raising at the sight before her. Mari sat on the bed, feet tucked neatly under her, wrapped in a familiar blue cloak. She nuzzled her face into the soft cloth, eyes closed, as Su quietly approached the bars, lips curling as Mari breathed in and sighed.

"Gee, wonder who could have left that." She giggled as Mari's face whipped toward her, a blush already rising in her friend's cheeks.

"It smells like fresh air!" Mari blurted defensively. "Something I'm not getting a lot of in here!" Su's eyes danced gleefully in the low light the dungeon offered.

"I'm sure that its owner has nothing to do with its scent." Mari stuck her nose in the air, trying to ignore the heat still rising in her face.

"Absolutely nothing!" The girl at the iron bars laughed, eyes warm as her friend joined her.

"I'm so happy you're back, Mae."

"Me too." Mari smiled at the younger girl's bright face, watching as she sat in her chair, distant from the bars, but so much closer than they'd been in months. Stories and questions spilled from their lips as they rushed to catch up, quiet voices filling the dank hallway with light.

* * *

One last scroll left the shelves, making its way to the small pile of scrolls and tomes in the Chichiri's arms. One of the royal priests hovered at the man's elbow, lips pursed as he watched the young monk collect the documents.

"Lord Chichiri, may I once again request that you stay in the libraries with the priceless, irreplaceable scrolls?" Chichiri smiled calmly, inclining his head at the man.

"Alas, your Holiness, I'm afraid that's not possible. But I promise to return them unharmed." The man gave a final harrumph, stalking back into the depths of the library as the monk left, arms full with the research materials, the small smile staying on his lips as he wound his way through the palace toward the dungeons. The voices of the girls reached him before he rounded the corner, stopping him in his tracks. He shouldn't eavesdrop. It wasn't right - it wasn't trustworthy. But something kept him there, frozen, quiet in his hiding place just out of their sight.

"...did Kutou follow the legends as well?"

"Yes! It was exactly like the book."

"So strange. Outside of their interactions with me, everything is stacking up the way it's supposed to." Su's voice trailed off into a thoughtful silence.

"Su," Mari's voice cut the silence, her tone low, "I came back to stop Amiboshi. Nakago had sent him to disrupt the summoning."

"Already?" Su gasped softly, calculating the time in her head. "Where is he now?"

"I don't know. He ran off when I was captured. But if he did listen to me, that means he won't be coming here. Which means there's still time to find Chiriko. Maybe they can just summon Suzaku and this will all end before-" One of the scrolls in Chichiri's overfull arms slipped from the pile as he leaned to listen in, clattering too loudly against the floor in the quiet hallway and cutting Mari off as both of the girls jumped.

"Who's there?" Su called out, her fingertips glowing a soft red light as she peered into the darkness.

"It's just me, you know?" He rounded the corner, extremely grateful for the mask that hid his embarrassment from the two women as they breathed relieved sighs, the startled looks vanishing from their faces. Su rushed to his side, relieving him of some of his burden. "Thank you, Lady Su."

"I don't think I am ever going to get used to being called 'lady'." She snorted, placing the scrolls carefully on the chair she had been sitting on a moment before. "What are these for, anyway?" She ran the delicate vellum through her fingers, unrolling one of them enough to read the first few lines.

"Research." Mari offered the answer. "There might be something in one of these that explains what we're going here."

"And this is the first time we thought to look in the library?" Su raised an eyebrow at Chichiri. "Really?" A soft chuckle bubbled up from Mari, the girl covering her mouth as Chichiri fidgeted uncomfortably. Su joined her, the two girls laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

"Yes, well normally the priests handle these affairs, you know?" he sighed, collecting several scrolls and handing them to Mari through the bars. She beamed at him, taking the precious documents with a gentle hand and a soft thank you. Su couldn't help but grin at the scene before her.

"Well, this all looks terribly exciting, but I think I'll leave you two to it!" Taking a step closer to the Mari's cell, she reached for the girl, fingers sliding between the bars to pull her friend into a hug. Chichiri caught her arm, stilling her as he realized what she was about to do.

"Given the past few days, I don't think that is wise." he smiled to soften the warning, but she still blanched as she remembered the previous evening's events.

"Right. Yeah." Su looked at Mari, offering her an apologetic smile. "You know, it would be really nice if this place would let up on the litany of brutality." Mari held up the scrolls in her hand, offering a weak smile.

"Working on it."

"Yeah, well... hurry." Chichiri couldn't help but notice the heavy glance the two girls exchanged, Mari nodding solemnly as Su left them, wandering away into the dark of the hallway. It took everything in him to swallow it down, to remind himself that he had vowed to trust her. But what he had just overheard was already testing the limits of that trust.

"Well then, shall we begin?"

* * *

 

_Music: Everloving - Moby_


	15. The World According to Nuriko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Chiri likes Mae. Su and Tas fight some more. A wild Kouji appears.

"Here." He noticed the hand first, circling him gently as Mari came up behind him, face close enough that he could feel her breath on his cheek. Chichiri looked up to find her hovering over his shoulder, a small cup extended out to him in ink-stained fingers. "It's time for a break." He raised his hand to take it, his fingers sliding over hers unintentionally. She looked at him, her blue eyes curious as the steam wafted up from the small earthen cup, brushing over her cheeks and blushing them pink. He suddenly found himself wondering if he had ever noticed that her eyes were rimmed with gold in the center. "Chichiri, are you ok?"

"Fine." He blinked once, his focus pulled back to the present moment. Mari looked down at their hands, chuckling softly as he pulled the cup from their shared grasp, raising it to his lips to try to hide the color he felt creeping into his cheeks. "I'm fine. Just, uh, a bit tired."

It wasn't a lie, not truly.

It had started small. A brush of their fingertips as they passed scrolls back and forth. As they reached for the same quill. Nothing of consequence, just small touches that were easily explained away as they learned to work alongside each other. Not drawing any notice other than a mumbled apology, if that. Until Mari had reached across the table, her fingers lingering over his as they had both pointed to the same passage of writing. Her eyes had flickered up, holding his gaze a moment too long before she had turned her face away, features hidden by her hair as it fell over the side of her face. He had found himself wishing that he could reach up to brush it out of the way, but when he had come back to himself Mari had turned away, writing on a blank page as if nothing had happened.

Perhaps it hadn't? Perhaps he'd imagined whatever it was he had seen flash in her eyes momentarily?

But the next day Mari had touched his shoulder, letting her hand rest there for a long moment as she asked him something. He couldn't remember what, he hadn't heard her. Sometime during the afternoon she had decided that it would be easier if they could read side by side, moving her cushion to his side of the table and settling next to him. Without the table between them, he couldn't help but be aware of her, and he had listened as Mari hummed softly to herself under her breath while she read. He hadn't known she did that.

At the end of the day, she had stretched with a great yawn before falling against his arm, looking up at him as she asked what he had planned for the rest of the evening. Mari listened quietly, eyes wistful as he shared with her the mundane tasks that would constitute the rest of his day. She sighed with longing at his freedom, despite the mediocrity it was filled with. He had cursed himself then, remembering her place in their strange arrangement.

That was the first night she had stolen sleep from him. Mari's eyes looking up at him in the dark as he had tried to sleep, wondering why he couldn't push her from his mind.

The following day he had brought her a vase of flowers to soothe the small sadness he had brought to her face the day before. Mari had smiled at him as she took the wildflowers in her arms, bringing the bouquet to her nose, those long lashes falling against her cheek as her eyes fell closed. She had thanked him, pulling him into a hug as she laughed her delight, the flowers still cradled gently to her chest. Held him until all he could smell were the flowers and her. She had tucked one behind her ear, fingers trailing over the soft petals before running absently to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. An action she had repeated over and over, the simple gesture stealing his attention until he had almost gone mad wishing he was the one running his fingers through her dark hair.

He had found no peace that night until he latched his window tight, barring the evening breeze from carrying the scent of wildflowers into his room.

Yesterday had been even worse. It had been hot, even in the depths of the dungeons, and Mari had pinned back her hair as best she could, her neck exposed to him as they worked, errant beads of sweat trailing down the back of it and disappearing behind her collar. The heat flushed her cheeks, making her lazy and quiet, her movements almost drunk in their slowness. The heat and the monotony of their work had pulled small sighs from her lips, little sounds that worked their way into his brain, tugging at him until he realized he had been reading the same passage over and over again. She had looked up at him once, smudging a small bit of charcoal by the corner of her eye as she brushed back a sweaty lock of hair. He hadn't thought about it then, only reached out to wipe it away with a thumb.

"Oh." The sound had tumbled from her, the smallest exhalation of breath. Then she had smiled at him, wide and radiant, her eyes crinkling in the corner as she laughed, his thumb still lingering on her skin.

That was when he had discovered that he wanted to kiss her.

Instead he let her go, pulling away from the small table to excuse himself early. Hating to leave her alone but unable to stay any longer. She should sleep, he had suggested, he would return when it was cooler. Mari had only nodded quietly, her eyes a bit sad as she watched him go, her back pressed to the opposite wall as he slipped from her cell under the warden's watchful gaze.

He didn't made it back as he had promised. Instead, he had spent the rest of the day in his room, legs folded under him in meditation as he reminded himself of the vows he took. The promises he had made. Repeating ancient words over and over long into the dark of night as he tried to scrub the afternoon from his mind. But the thoughts of her still returned, a vision lingering behind his eyelids as he slept. White skin and that dark hair pinned on the back of her neck. Her collar, hanging loose over her shoulders, falling lower as his hand slipped along her skin.

He had found himself awake suddenly, gasping for air as he untangled himself from his sheets. Splashing cold water over his face as he tired to wash the dreams from his mind. He found himself dreading the coming afternoon as much as he was longing for it, spending half the day mustering the courage to bring himself to return to her, watching with simultaneous terror and relief as she smiled up at him, backing against the far wall so the warden could let him into her cell, only so he could find himself here, her hand on his shoulder and her body pushed to his back, unassuming and wonderful and terrible.

"I should go." He lowered the cup to the table, pushing to his feet more quickly than he had intended, sending her staggering back a step.

"Did I do something?" Mari's voice was small as he turned to look at her. "I don't mean to trap you down here with me. I know you have more important things to do." There was a sadness there in her voice as she spoke. "It's just, you've been so quiet. I know we haven't found anything yet, but if you'd rather not come down here anymore, I can-" His hands found hers, enfolding them in his own as he stepped toward her.

"Mari, that's not it. I..." her eyes flickered up to hold his gaze, lambent even in the gloom of the dungeons, her lip finding its way between her teeth as she waited for him to speak. "I..." Something changed in her face as she waited for his answer, a tiny shift that stole the words from him. That pulled him toward her, his eyelids falling half closed as he felt his head inch closer to hers. Heard her breath catch in her throat.

"My Lord Chichiri." the warden coughed suddenly, interrupting them with a rather inelegant snort. "There seems to be a commotion with Lord Tasuki and Lady Su in the courtyard." Chichiri jumped back from Mari suddenly, feeling very much like a boy who had been caught doing something very improper by his father, cheeks staining red under the warden's rather bemused gaze. Mari didn't fare much better, turning away to hide her face in her sleeve as she retreated to the far wall, letting Chichiri slip out of her cell. When the gate was closed and locked once more, she returned to the bars, her fingers closing around them as she pleaded softly.

"Please, come back later?" Even though he wanted to run, to turn and forget her in the dark, he found he could not deny her.

"I will."

* * *

Su panted heavily, eyes angry as she stared down the bandit across the courtyard. His eyes were just as angry, narrowing as he bared his teeth, his voice ringing out in the tense silence.

"REAKKA -" The blast of light hit him full in the chest, throwing him several feet back and planting him firmly on his back, his tessen skittering across the stone. "That's IT!" he roared, sitting up after being knocked down for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon. "I fuckin' quit."

"Tasuki, it's just a training exercise." Nuriko chided him at his outburst, tsking softly as he shook his head and offered him a hand. Tasuki swatted it away, getting loudly to his feet.

"Tell that to her!" he spat in Su's direction, earning himself a very sour glance from the girl.

"Tell that to my singed hair!" she shouted back at him, blowing back the lock of hair that kept falling in her eyes, too short now to be tucked behind her ear after an errant flame had burned half its length away.

"Yer lucky that's all you got."

"Enough! Both of you!" Nuriko snapped, shoving Tasuki toward the gate. "You, go cool your head! We're done for today." Tasuki muttered as he left the courtyard, seeking the quiet of his room to lick his wounds. Nuriko waited for him to go before wheeling on Su. "What has gotten into you this past week?"

"Me?" she sputtered, crossed arms falling to her side as she blinked, wide-eyed, at the man. "Why don't you ask 'Lord Pain in my Ass' what's gotten into him! Ever since I told him to stop butting in to my business he's been trying to do his best to aggravate me!" She flopped down where she stood, running her hands through her hair.

"Did you two have a fight?" Nuriko settled himself by her side, arranging his skirts as he looped an arm around the girl, pulling her to his shoulder.

"Yeah. After Mari... after I woke up." she sulked. "He told Mari to stay away from me. Stupid bandit thinks he can tell me what to do just 'cause we're friends."

"It's been stressful for all of us. We haven't been on our best behavior lately, but we're doing the best we can."

"I know." Su sighed, letting her head fall against Nuriko's shoulder. "I just miss having someone to talk to. It was nice when he was just there, you know?" Nuriko smiled softly, standing and helping the girl to her feet.

"Maybe you should tell him how you feel." he suggested.

"Yeah, when pigs fly."

"Stranger things have happened, you know." There was a hint of laughter to his voice as he smiled at her, turning to leave as he called out over his shoulder. "Go on, we're done for the day. We'll try again tomorrow."

* * *

Su's feet led her to the dungeons, the guards knowing better than to try and stop her at this point. She found Mari where she had every day for the past week, the girl kneeling on a small silk cushion, pouring over the scrolls in front of her at the small table. Chichiri had found something she needed to aid her research every day, it seemed. New lanterns to read by, a small table to write on, a few pillows for them to sit upon, a warm blanket to stave off the cold during the long nights. There was even a small teapot with two cups resting on top of the small chest, the ornate drawers holding garments that had been summoned after he found the shift she had been issued unsuitable for their research. The cell was almost unrecognizable at this point, dressed in enough small comforts to merit calling it an actual room. Even his cloak still remained, draped neatly over the bed on top of the soft coverlet. Only the immobile steel bars remained to remind them both that Mari was still a prisoner.

"Mari?"

"Hey!" She looked up from her scrolls, placing them down as she moved to stand, smiling at the unexpected company.

"Any luck yet?" Su settled into a small chair by the bars as Mari did the same on the other side.

"Not yet. Nothing beyond the priestess and her warriors. Though it's a bit... embellished." she chuckled, remembering one of the more flowery passages she had read earlier that day. Su gave a half-hearted laugh in return, drawing Mari's attention out of her research as she looked at her friend. "What's wrong?"

"I dunno. I've been fighting with Tas all week." she sighed, falling back in her chair as she covered her face with her hands.

"What? Why? I thought you two were getting along so well?"

"We were, until he told me to stay away from you!" she groused.

"He was just worried about you." Mari countered, her defense of the boy unexpected. "I can't say I would have done any differently in his shoes."

"But you're my friend!" Su whined.

"And so is he." Mari smiled at Su. "He just cares about you."

"Well he has a funny way of showing it." Su sulked. "It was so much easier when I could just tap into his mind. Now that we have to talk, I feel like it's all getting lost in translation." Mari stilled, her eyes looking through Su momentarily.

"Say that again..." her voice was low, far away. Su could almost hear the gears turning in her mind,

"What? That we're not communicating?"

"That it's lost in translation! That must be it!" She jumped to her feet, finding a piece of paper and a scrap of charcoal as she began scribbling frantically. "Do you remember what you heard when I read the book the first time? Back when we first got here?" Su tried to remember back to that stupid, dusty book that had started this whole mess, not quite sure what it had to do with her and Tasuki's current predicament.

" _The Universe Ruled by Multiple Gods_? I dunno, something about a girl collecting the stars of Suzaku and getting a wish?" Mari held up the paper, reading what she had written down.

"This story is about a woman who reached her dreams by coming to collect all the stars of the Beast God. She gained the powers of a god, and was gifted all she desired. The tome before you is a spell in itself. The one who reads it will join the woman in the story, blessed with the powers of a true warrior of the Beast God, and given a wish."

"How in the hell did you remember all that?" Su asked, eyes wide as Mari started laughing at the sheet of paper.

"It's mistranslated! It was supposed to say 'become' the woman, not 'join'! The powers of a warrior, all these strange things happening to us, it's all because the story, the spell, was transcribed incorrectly. We're not the priestesses. We're their warriors. Warriors for the beast gods! You for Suzaku..."

"And you for Seriyuu." Su sat back, the reality of it all sinking in. "Mari, this isn't just a story anymore. These are real people, with real lives."

"Lives they're going to lose if they're not careful." She placed the paper in her lap with a sigh. "We need to tell them."

"We can't! What if we do something wrong and end up making Nakago king of everything?"

"Is that better than what happens if we do nothing? Su, they'll die! Almost all of them! We still have time! If Amiboshi did run away, then we just need to find Chiriko. If we can just summon Suzaku in time, this will all end. No death! No war! We can go home and be done with it!"

"Go home..." Su turned over the thought as Mari looked at her hands nervously.

"Besides, I might have said some things to Tasuki that I didn't quite mean to say." She cringed as Su's eyes snapped to her, her jaw hanging slack. "Something along the lines of him being one of the only ones left standing when Suzaku was done with him." Her voice grew softer and softer as Su's face turned a deeper shade of red.

"You said WHAT?"

"You were an unconscious heap on the floor and he had just tried to incinerate me! I wasn't really in my right mind!" she sputtered. Su raised her hand to her forehead, massaging away the headache she felt coming on in a fairly good impression of Hotohori when he was at the end of his patience.

"At least he has no one to tell. I don't think he's speaking to anyone at all, let alone me. If we can just keep him quiet long enough maybe we can take care of this all before we ruin it even more."

* * *

Tasuki sat alone in his room, letting the dark of the evening fall on him as he made friends with the bottom of a bottle of sake. His thoughts bubbled through his head in drunken disarray, eyes fixed on the damned necklace dangling from his fingertips. He cursed Su with each swig of the alcohol, drinking deeper and deeper until he couldn't picture her face in his mind anymore.

"Stupid girl, with 'er stupid necklace, an' 'er stupid friend." He brought the bottle once more to his lips, frowning when it failed to produce more than a drop. "Stupid bottle." It found its way across the room as a knock rang on his door. "Whaddya want?!"

"Lord Tasuki, you have a vi-" A brash, familiar voice rang out, cutting off the servant as it rambled a loud string of nonsense at the other side of the door.

"Outta the way, you! Oi, Genrou, it's Kouji! Oh, Kouji? Come in in why don't cha! Why, I would be delighted. Hey, you, open the door."

"Lord Tasuki?" The poor, beleaguered servant asked feebly, ducking out of the way just as Kouji kicked the door open, blinking into the darkness.

"Genrou, you in here?"

"Kouji!" Tasuki hiccuped loudly, stumbling to his feet and practically falling over himself as he tried to greet his friend. Kouji caught him carefully, his playful smile vanishing in an instant.

"Damn, Gen. I didn't think it was this bad." He whistled, leading Tasuki back into the dark room. "I got it from here, pops!" he called over his shoulder, dismissing the servant with a nod. Tossing his friend onto his bed, he managed to find a lamp, lighting it and bringing it to the bedside. "What the hell has gotten into you besides all the drink? I ain't seen you this pissed in a good long while."

"Don't wanna talk 'bout it." Tasuki grumbled into a pillow, burying his face in it as he rolled onto his side.

"Well yer gonna, cause I rode all the way out here to talk about it. You were actin' all funny back on Reikaku. I thought it might have somethin' to do with Su. I didn't know she was this far under your skin, though." Tasuki glowered from the bed.

"Told ya, 's not the girl." Kouji raised an eyebrow at the denial, a wry grin creasing his mouth against his better judgement.

"Really, Gen-chan? Then please tell me what it is that's got you drinkin' 'nough for the whole mountain. Alone. In the dark." The drunken boy on the bed growled in frustration, a fist striking the mattress as his side.

"Ya know me too well, 'Ji." he griped, eyes struggling to focus on the boy at his side. "But that stupid girl isn't the only reason." He groaned at that small confession, casting a hand over his eyes. "She has this friend, see?" Kouji whistled, long and low, earning a wince from the tipsy bandit at his side.

"My, things do get interestin' here."

"Goddamit, ain't ya gonna listen Kouji? I'm tryin' ta tell ya summin' serious and ya go makin' –"

"Okay, okay!" Kouji held his hands up, eyes wide. "Gods Gen-chan, what're they doin' to ya here?" Tasuki sighed, flopping back onto the pillows once more, a deep sigh leaving his lips.

"Jus' all their goddamn fancy manners, and all the 'lord' stuff. They think we're gonna save the world or summin', y'know? I'm just a, a... a bandit. An, yeah, sure, the girl. Su." He scowled at Kouji, daring him to comment. "Not that she acts like girls're s'posed ta. Crazy damn woman. She actually yelled at me fer tryin' ta protect her! An' all these fuckin' secrets! Su's frien', Mari. She's with Seiryuu or summin' an'... " He paused long, hesitating as the words echoed through his head once more. "It like she knows what was gonna happen to me, ya know?"

* * *

_Music: Age of Consent - New Order_


	16. A Few Good Seishi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner and a show!

"I assume Tasuki will be taking his... meal in his room again?" Hotohori raised an eyebrow at the empty spot at the table as the other warriors settled around him. Nuriko pursed his lips, eyes flickering to the unoccupied chair before returning to the emperor.

"He was on the end of a rather rough training session, Your Highness." Tamahome snorted at Nuriko's gentle explanation, muttering loudly to Miaka.

"Like none of us know he's been drinking himself to sleep for the past week." The girl swatted him on the arm with a frown, quickly exchanging her aggrieved look for an eager smile as she chirped back at him.

"At least it means that Su's learning, right?" Nuriko hid a smile, thinking of the newly shortened lock of hair Su was now sporting.

"She's improving. Though it might help to get someone else with a little more magical aptitude to work with her." he shrugged, turning to Chichiri. "I know you're busy with your studies, but it could help to have someone who understands magic more than Tasuki or me." Chichiri nodded, opening his mouth the respond when the emperor cut him off.

"And how _is_ your work going?" Hotohori's eyes rose from his plate, a neat bite of food finding its way between his lips as he contemplated the monk. "It has been a week without word on your success." Chichiri dropped his fork suddenly, cursing softly as it fell into his bowl with a loud clang.

"Some progress has been made, you know? We're trying to understand why both Mari and the Lady Su are here." The eyes around the table rose to his face, and the monk squirmed uncomfortably under the examination, grateful for the mask that hid his flushed face from them. "Mari continues to aid my research with her knowledge, and I am sure after more study there will be more information forthcoming." The emperor nodded slowly, eyes sliding over Chichiri's mask.

"Do continue."

"Her theory is that is has something to do with their origin in their own world. It's possible their version of the legend is different, you know?"

"Well that makes sense!" Miaka smiled at the faces around the table, happy for the neat explanation. "They're clearly from a different country, so it seems logical that a translation of the book could have resulted in this. I mean, that explains why there's one aligned with Suzaku and one with Seriyuu, just like..." she trailed off, smile fading as her thoughts turned to her best friend. "Well, at least they get to be in the same place."

 Nuriko pulled the girl under his arm, tsking softly as he rubbed her back. "We'll rescue Yui soon, don't worry Miaka." Chichiri turned back to his food, relieved as the table's attention shifted once again. He felt his cheeks flush under Hotohori's pointed questions, knowing that he hadn't been as attentive as he should have been in the last week. Mari had proven... distracting.

"Chichiri?"

"Highness?" the monk blinked as the emperor's voice cut through his musing.

"I said, is it possible she may know more? Of our situation. Or the Kutou situation? You said there may be more information forthcoming. If a valid theorem has presented itself, surely she's not wasting time on pursuing other lines of reason?" Chichiri swallowed, unsure of his next steps. Suddenly, the conversation he had overheard between Mari and Su earlier in the week sprung to the front of his mind. To tell the man of the conversation, of the possibility that the girls may know what was to become of them – the betrayal would be too great to expect them to forgive. But one did not simply lie to the Emperor of Konan. One did not betray their comrades. He clenched his fists in his lap, trying his best to choose his next words carefully.

"I believe that she and the Lady Su may know a bit more than they're saying, yes. But they might not! Miaka cannot say what will come to pass, you know?" The calculating look on Hotohori's face told the monk he had said enough; too much, perhaps.

"We will visit the Lady Mari." Hotohori gestured to a nearby servant, issuing a soft command. "Bid the Lord Tasuki and the Lady Su to join us in the dungeons once we have finished. I believe they may be necessary for this discussion as well." The emperor returned to his repast, the warriors around the table following suit. Chichiri set his utensils down, carefully pushing his plate away, the anxiety pooling in his stomach chasing any semblance of hunger away.

* * *

Mari looked up from her scroll as the emperor entered her cell, for a moment too frightened to move. Taking a deep breath, she mustered as much decorum as she could manage before slowly rising from the small cushion to bow low before him.

"Your Highness." she murmured, looking around anxiously before gesturing to the bed. "I'm afraid I don't have much to offer by way of seating, but perhaps you would find the bed acceptable?" The man inclined his head, moving to seat himself carefully on the edge of the thin mattress as she settled back to the pillow. He peered around the room, eyes surveying the small items that had been provided to her.

"Chichiri tells me you have been deep in research, digging for information about your presence among us. Searching for further knowledge about us. About our priestess. Is that correct?" His mouth smiled, an expression that didn't quite touch the rest of his face. Her eyes flickered to Chichiri where he stood uncomfortably in the doorway, true expression hidden from sight behind that damned mask.

"You already know the answer to that, Highness." She watched as his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. "Perhaps I can persuade you to ask what you've truly come here to find out?"

"Indeed." He fixed her with a thoughtful gaze, eyes hard as he considered her. "I know almost everything that goes on in my palace. Even those goings on that happen in the dark of the dungeon." Mari sighed, exasperated with the obsequious politicking.

"Highness, with respect, I cannot give you a direct answer unless you ask me a direct question."

"Understood." The handsome face went cold, all trace of the courtly emperor gone. "What do you know of the plots of Seiryuu? Of their battle plans? Do you know of what will come to pass?" He paused, fear flitting at the edge of his expression before he gave life to his next words. "What do you know of our destiny?" Mari's eyes moved to Chichiri, mentally cursing the mask that hid his face. What had he heard? What did he say that caused the emperor of Konan to pay her a visit in this dank cell?

"Your Highness, even if I did know more than I have told you, it wouldn't be wise for me to share knowledge that could affect the plans of fate." He looked at her for a long, quiet moment before a laugh curled his lips upward. In the next instant she found him on his feet, the edge of his sword at her throat.

"Hotohori!" Chichiri shouted, moving towards the pair, hands already reaching for the weapon. Hotohori held out a hand, stalling the monk without casting him so much as a glance. A blue glow rose around Mari, enveloping her and the emperor as a wind with no apparent source rose, lifting their hair and clothing to dance elegantly around them.

"Please, Your Highness. Stop this! Being frightened makes it harder for me to control my magic and I don't want to hurt you!" He ignored her plea, his worried mind desperately seeking any answers she might hold.

"Tell me truthfully, Mari. What is it that you know? What secrets are you withholding from us?" He pushed the sword closer to her throat, and she could feel her pulse ticking wildly against the unforgiving steel.

"Your Highness, please!" Mari looked at him with pleading eyes, fear leaking through her poised shell. "Any knowledge I may have is better left unsaid, I swear to you!"

"Hotohori, please." Chichiri tried again, approaching the two glowing figures in desperation, surprised at the tense fury he could see on the emperor's face. "This is madness. Enough!" Distracted by the light of Mari's power, the man ignored the monk, intent on the girl before him.

"You stand here before me, the aura of Seiryuu clearly visible upon you! What reason have I to believe that you keep our best interests at heart?"

"My power is my own, however I came by it. I swear to you, I intend no harm!" Mari spoke through clenched teeth, trying desperately to force her magic to fall away, sweat beading on her brow with the effort. "Highness! Hotohori... Please, stop this now!" Her gasp cut through the cell as the cold steel just pierced her skin, a ruby droplet of blood welling along its edge. Mari closed her eyes against the little hurt, struggling against her magical instinct and pulling at her power as hard as she could. She mustn't hurt this man, their emperor. She mustn't!

Suddenly the pressure disappeared, the sword gone from her neck as quickly as it had come. A bizarre scene greeted her eyes as they flew open, the details searing into her mind in a confused rush. Chichiri stood unmasked, a single eye fixed upon the emperor with a fierce intensity. Hotohori blinked back at him, bewildered, as his eyes flickered from Mari, back to the monk, and finally to his blade. Chichiri's hand was wrapped around the steel, blood curling delicately down his wrist from where his palm was forced against the blade, pushing it away from Mari's throat.

"That is enough, Your Highness." The monk's voice was low, the calm words belying the intensity of his face. Hotohori gently pulled his weapon back, wincing as the monk curled his injured hand away, breaking their gaze as he turned toward Mari, who had sunk, trembling, to her knees. Dropping down on a cushion beside her, he placed a gentle arm around her shoulders as he conjured a cloth, pressing it to her neck with his good hand. As the last of her power fell away, spasms wracked her body with the adrenaline of the encounter, soft tears creeping down her face in the dim light.

"Highness!" The voice of a guard gave the group a start, cutting lightly through the tension. "The Lord Tasuki is here. Please excuse the delay. We had hoped that some tea might help, but I fear..." the man trailed off, lips pinching together as the drunken bandit stumbled into the room.

"Whadda ya want, 'Tohori?" His eyes swam over to the two kneeling by the small table. "Oi, what gives with this broad? Why we gotta come down to the dungeon jus' ta see 'er?" He thumbed his finger in Mari's general direction, too drunk to feel frightened of her or see the state the encounter with the emperor had left her in.

"Why don't you have a seat, Tasuki." Chichiri offered softly, the gesture he gave to the last cushion at his side ignored as the bandit took the comment literally, giving an indifferent shrug before crashing to the floor right where he stood.

"Mari? What's going on?" Su's voice cut through the room as she rounded the corner, a scowl finding her face as she tripped over the bandit in the doorway.

"Lady Su, please join us and have a seat." Hotohori offered, finally finding his voice again. Su strode defiantly around Tasuki, standing as close to Mari as she dared before turning to face the emperor with a gaze that could only be described as petulant.

"I'll stand, thank you."

"As you wish." Hotohori sighed, turning his gaze from Su to Tasuki. "Tasuki, I suspect that Su and her friend may have knowledge that they have been keeping from us." The bandit swallowed, eyes widening at the proclamation. "Due to your unique connection with the Lady Su, we had hoped you might be able to shed some light on the situation." Su's gaze flew to the bandit, her eyes narrowing as she reached for a connection that wasn't there.

"Let me in." she whispered, voice soft. "Dammit Tas', let me in." He shook his head, avoiding her eyes as he struggled to make a decision.

"Mari, she..."

"I can explain! Please, Tasuki, just let me explain first." Su moved across the room, dropping to her knees before him as her fingers curled over his jaw, tilting his face towards hers, startling him into looking at her. "Please." Tasuki searched the girls eyes as his split loyalties quarreled in his head and heart, fangs pressing into his lower lip. He finally closed his eyes, a frown breaking across his features as he whispered his confession.

"I think they know the future. They know what's gonna to happen to all of us. They know who's gonna die."

* * *

_Music: Chasing Sheep - Michael Nyman_


	17. The Truth About Dragons and Phoenixes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari and Su dish.

 

Hotohori paled, exhaling sharply. Chichiri's eyes flared and locked on Mari as she clenched her teeth and glared at the bandit.

"No! You bastard!" Su lashed out, a sharp slap echoing through the room before his hands locked around her wrists in self-defense. "Let me go!" Su's red power flared around her as she struggled, Mari's own power brightly erupting in response. The guards standing post in the hallway moved toward the cell door when it abruptly slammed shut, an impenetrable wall of purple light throwing the dungeon into sharp relief.

"Guards!" Hotohori shouted, eyes wide.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness." Mari switched her gaze to Tasuki, the bandit just managing to get a struggling Su locked in a clumsy grip across his lap. "Let her go," she growled at the bandit. Su jerked away as his grip relaxed, clambering from the boy's lap and across the cell to a safe distance by her friend, eyes hurt as she rubbed at her wrists. A crowd had developed outside the bright barrier, growing louder as more guards gathered to the light barring them from their emperor. The girls eyed the men, feeling their fists fall feebly against the wall. It would hold. They turned back to the group before them. "Here's what we're going to do." Mari hissed. "You all are going to listen to us for once, and we're going to tell you everything you need to know." Hotohori's mouth opened and closed again silently, his outrage evident in his tense posture. Mari only glared at him with her glowing blue eyes, daring him to try and defy her. Both Chichiri and Tasuki has fallen still at her side, both of them wide-eyed as the girls held the barrier around them. "Send them away." Mari warned Hotohori calmly. "This is not for their ears." He gave her a hard glance, unused to taking orders, before raising his hand toward the bars.

"You are dismissed. I will call for you again shortly."

"Highness, we-"

"Must I repeat myself?!" They bowed at his scolding, swiftly vacating the hallway. Mari watched them go, waiting for the last man to round the corner before she spoke.

"You need to listen now, and listen well, all of you. Yes, to some degree, Su and I have some knowledge of your futures. But, as I am discovering, our... records are a bit less accurate than we thought. Mistranslated is the best way I can explain it. All I know for certain is that we should never have been able to appear with Miaka and Yui already in place."

"We know how your lives should play out without us here. Now that we are here, though, the order of things," Su offered weakly, "the future as Mari and I know it could be compromised. Our very presence is a threat to the future you were supposed to have."

"It could be good for some of you," Mari added quietly, "but if the ultimate outcome is different it could spell disaster for everyone." The girls looked at each other one more sad time. "It's already changed us."

"I barely recognize us." Su whispered back. The room rang with silence for long minutes as the warriors across from them mulled over the resonance of their words, the meaning of their presence. Hotohori was the first to raise his head.

"So, Tasuki was correct? You know what will become of us? You do know who is intended to die?"

"I... in theory, yes." Mari hedged, wondering how best to continue. "But it would be best we don't tell you anything. I'm sorry, Tasuki. I should never have said that to you."

"But you're here." Chichiri protested, finding his voice. "You're here, and it's already too late. You said so yourself! What does it matter if you tell us? What if it can prevent those deaths?"

"You've already changed us, ya know?" Tasuki looked at Su's angry profile. "Why can't we all just try and get the best outcome for everyone?" Mari looked at Su, knowing that she had promised to keep silent, but was losing her resolve in the face of the warriors and their rising panic.

"What if he's right, Mae?" Su protested weakly, lip trembling slightly. Mari's resolve only steeled as she contemplated the price that Amiboshi might have paid for her meddling in his affairs. She turned her gaze to Chichiri. "You are still shy one warrior, correct? Chiriko is not among you, yet?"

"No." Chichiri confirmed. "The search has been postponed during, well, recent events. We've all been a bit distracted, you know?"

"There is a boy, a member of the Seiryuu Seven." Mari began, hesitant. "Amiboshi. He was to be sent to you in the disguise of Chiriko."

"What!? You knew about this and you-!" Hotohori bristled at the idea. Mari only held up a hand, halting his tirade before it began.

"I knew about this, and I escaped Kutou's palace and risked my life and capture to stop him! It was Nakago's doing, not mine. He does not share his plans with me or his men the way you do with each other. I was set in the role of a pawn, something to parade about and control. I was his pet, Highness. When I did not comply, I was punished." Mari held his gaze as the gravity of her words sunk in. He backed down quietly, letting her continue. "But he was to be sent to you in a reality in which I, we, were not among you. I came back to stop him. He can't finish his mission now. I would know it was him."

"As would I." Su added quickly. "I would have known him even if Mari hadn't come back."

"I couldn't risk letting him try. There was no guarantee you'd let Su see him before it was too late. Amiboshi was the catalyst that begins the true battle between you and the warriors of Seiryuu. I begged him to run. If he listened to me and is truly gone, then there is no one to stop you from finding Chiriko and summoning Suzaku. The war will end before it begins. But if that is the path you choose to follow, Su and I won't know any more than you do."

"So then, do you know what's gonna happen ta us or don't cha?" Tasuki erupted with a growl, fisting his hands into his hair in frustration.

"The more we all change it, the less we know." Su admitted.

"Please, give us until you find Chiriko." Mari pleaded. "If you do, and you are unable to summon Suzaku, I'll tell you everything. Until then, do what you feel is right. Chain me to the wall of my cell again if you feel safer that way. That way I can't harm anyone until this is all done."

"Mari! No!" Su reached for her friend, gasping as she was thrown violently back by a shimmering field of blue light as her fingers wrapped around Mari's arm. Tasuki was immediately at her side, pulling her off the cold floor. Mari scrambled to her feet, cringing into the furthest corner of her cell, face turned away to hide her tears. As the barriers faded, the three men stared at the girls huddled on opposite corners of the room, and for the first time Hotohori truly saw the pain the ordeal had been causing them. It gave him pause, overriding his anger as he imagined his priestess in their places, lost and frightened.

"I think we're finished here for today." Hotohori took advantage of the momentary distraction to call to the guards, who were inside the room in less than a second as the barrier disappeared, spears to Mari's throat. "That will not be necessary. She is to remain under guard here, that is all for now." He waved them off of her, ignoring their murmured protests. "Please see the Lady Su to her chambers, and see that she stays there until I call for her again." He rose from his seat, making even that simple action seem incredibly regal. "I think it's time we assemble all the warriors of Suzaku and the priestess together. We have been idle long enough."

* * *

"Lord Nakago, I have brought the boy."

"Show him in." Nakago called idly from the shadow of the room, squinting as the bright light of the hallway pierced the gloom. The boy stepped in cautiously, fidgeting with his hands and turning like a frightened bird as the door was closed behind him, engulfing him in darkness. "Come here, Suboshi."

"Lord Nakago. You wanted to see me?" Suboshi carefully addressed his general, fear weakening his voice.

"How are you faring, Suboshi?" Nakago rose from his chair, reaching out to the boy until a hand rested on his small shoulders. He could feel the boy trembling.

"I, my brother, Sir." Suboshi's shoulders shook all the harder as he tried not to shed tears. "Where have you sent him?"

"Your brother is dead, Suboshi."

"Lord Nakago?" He looked up at the general, eyes wide as he took in the full meaning of his words. "How?"

"The girl, Mari. She has escaped. She attacked Tomo and fled the palace for Konan. I can only assume she sought him out there and killed him." Nakago drawled dryly.

"The Lady Mari. But why? Why would she do that?" he protested, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Because she has betrayed us. She has left us to join the Suzaku." Nakago pulled the boy to his chest, stroking his hair softly as Suboshi dissolved into vengeful tears. He balled his fists at his side, his entire being radiating with hatred.

"Then I will kill her." he threatened between clenched teeth.

"Yes, Suboshi, I believe you will." Nakago smiled in the darkness as he watched the pieces fall into place. Meanwhile, deep under the great Palace of Koutou, Amiboshi lay suspended in chains and trapped in a drugged sleep, dead to the world.

* * *

_Music: Criminal - Fiona Apple_


	18. The Bold and the Bakas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Su tells the seishi what's what!

It was the following morning when Su was shown to the throne room, entering to see the emperor already seated in his ornate throne, Miaka to his right, Tamahome to his left. The four remaining warriors settled on the floor below his dais, heads bowed in an unusual show of subservience. His advisers seated in a neat row behind him. From her position at the door, the classic scene of feudal China left Su feeling too tall, too awkward and foreign. Too far from her own home and time. A pang of homesickness hit her hard, the gravity of the situation and lack of friendly support leaving her grasping for her normal optimistic acceptance. She blinked back the tears swiftly, swallowing the pain as she forced herself to listen to Hotohori's formal announcement.

"The seven warriors must all be found in order for the Lady Miaka to summon Suzaku. Nuriko, Tamahome, Tasuki, Mitsukake, Chichiri, myself – we're only missing Chiriko." The emperor crooked a finger at Su, drawing her forward before the small crowd. "Lady Su and her friend Mari believe they can help us find him. They also have theories on possible aspects of the legend we may have missed before now." He nodded to Su, settling back in his chair as she looked over the small gathering, taking a deep breath before she leapt into the explanation.

"At this point in time, the Seiryuu have their seven warriors and their priestess," Su spared an apologetic glance for Miaka, "Miaka's friend Yui. But they haven't attempted to summon Seiryuu yet. Mari and I think it's because all the chosen members of the Seiryuu, including her, must be present to summon him. With her still in Konan, they are unable to take any further steps in their quest."

"But... but that means they'll be planning to attack the palace!" Miaka cried out, tears welling in her eyes.. The room burst into noise as the warriors and advisers clamored for her attention at once, questions flying alongside accusations as she struggled to keep up. She finally gave up, throwing her hands up before her with a shout.

"Enough, all of you! Honestly, you are the most disorganized, dramatic group of so-called warriors I've ever seen." Su's reprimand brought scowls to their faces, Tamahome trying to rise against the hold Miaka claimed on his arm. "You have to pull it together if you want to have any chance at beating Nakago and his team! They've been training, preparing, and waiting for this moment. You haven't. You've been too busy moping, drinking and trying to woo each other! Mari and I can help you if you'd just let us. Stop mistrusting everything we try to tell you and there's a chance we could win this war!" The warriors had gone wide-eyed through her speech, developing an urgent interest in their hands, heads bowing one by one through her tirade. Only one pair of hazel eyes stayed on her and she glared them down as she continued, willing herself to stay angry. "Chiriko is here, somewhere, in the capital. Hotohori's guards are already seeking him out among the officials at the college. It's a good first step." she nodded to the emperor. "Mari must be kept here. Without her, the Seiryuu warriors is helpless in summoning their beast god. Hotohori thinks it best to keep her under lock and key in the dungeons. While I can't say that I like this idea, I do agree she will be safe there. It buys us some time. Highness, it would do to begin stationing your troops into the city." She ignored the sudden grumbling among the advisers, steeling herself against the inevitable backlash of her next words. "Fate will do what it can to even the balance that Mari and I have thrown into disarray. If Suzaku is summoned, Kutou will be greatly weakened, but it may not stop them from attacking. The warriors must start preparing for battle; it would do well for Miaka to follow Mari's example and study–"

"Now look here," Tamahome cut Su off, eyes glaring angrily at her, "I don't know what's happened in the past couple weeks, but when did we start taking orders from this girl? When did you all decide to trust her? She's not a warrior, she's not a priestess, she's nothing! Just a -" Tamahome was cut off before this final insult, surrounded by a ball of red light, mouth moving, but no sound coming out. His fists beat against the ward, eyes narrowing at Su in fury as he struggled against the trap. Su looked slowly around the room, gaze drifting over the shocked faces before her eyes came back to rest on her now-silent hostage.

"I may not be a priestess, or a warrior, or anything you think you can trust," Su took a deep breath, gathering her courage, "but if you dare to ignore me, if you dare to ignore Mari, you will die. Painfully. Violently. Your country will be torn asunder, those you hold dear will die, and all will be lost."

* * *

"Dokun Oh?" At his name, the small boy turned from his books, chignon of hair bobbing as he trained his innocent gaze on the guard at his back.

"How may I be of help?"

"Please come with us. His Highness requests your presence." The boy's eyes widened at the words, but he bowed shortly, falling in step with the four large men.

* * *

Suboshi rode all night and all day, his anger never slaking, the pain of loss and rage burning in his veins. She who dared take his brother from him would pay dearly. She would learn the meaning of cruelty, of pain.

He never stopped long enough to consider that he hadn't felt the loss of his twin. He never stopped long enough to consider that nothing that belonged to Amiboshi was returned to him. He merely rode on, inner eye seeing nothing but her pain, her fear, her death. She would suffer at his hands, and he would end her. But not before he chose to.

Cresting over a hill, he smiled as the gates of Konan came into view, urging his exhausted animal on ever harder.

* * *

It was twilight when the doors to the throne room opened again. A tenuous consensus had been reached after word had come that Chiriko had been found. Miaka should be made ready to summon Suzaku the following morning.

"I didn't expect this to happen like this. To happen so soon." Tamahome muttered, running his fingers gently through Miaka's hair as the couple bid farewell.

"It'll be alright, Tama. I know it will. Once I summon Suzaku, we can be together." She smiled up at him, closing her eyes blissfully as he placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Be nice to Su while I'm gone!" she called cheerfully as a retinue of servants whisked her away to be prepared for the following day. Miaka had turned out to be an unexpected ally, which had surprised Su more than anyone. While she had held Tamahome in her wards, it was Miaka who stilled the commotion for her, coming to her defense even as Su held the boy she loved in the bondage of her magic.

"Can't you see how scared she is?" the small girl had pleaded, pulling on Hotohori's sleeve to command his attention. "I would do anything to keep Yui safe. She only wants to help us and protect her friend! Why do you all keep fighting with her!" Tears shimmered in Miaka's eyes as she rose, crossing the room to offer the stunned Su an embrace, locking her arms around the taller girl's waist. In her confusion, Su had dropped the ward holding Tamahome, the boy rising to his feet, a protest already on his lips.

"But Miaka!" he snapped, taking a step toward the girls as the mark on his forehead glowed softly with his suppressed rage.

"Tamahome! I expected better from you!" Miaka had scolded, stopping him in his tracks. "What if she had been the Priestess of Suzaku instead of me? Or if it had been Yui? Would you treat them the way you treat me?"

"I... Miaka..." He slumped as his frustration disappeared in the face of his love's admonishment.

"You should listen to her. She just wants to help us." From that point on, Su had found she didn't have to snap and bristle at the men anymore. Miaka remained by her side, guiding the discussion toward the best possible conclusion for everyone. For the first time since she arrived in Konan, Su felt accepted by all the warriors, if not yet fully trusted.

_Why couldn't I have thought of this method sooner?_  she thought ruefully, fingers playing absent-minded along her necklace.

"Why don't we all get some rest?" Hotohori suggested kindly, noticing the weary glances and sagging shoulders of everyone assembled in the hall. "I will have Chiriko brought to me when he arrives, and in the morning we will take steps to summon Suzaku." He beamed with pride at the new plan, embodying the image of the regal emperor so fully that Su couldn't help but smile. His optimism seemed to be infectious to the rest of the warriors as well, the tension melting away in their easy smiles and soft exchanges. "Lady Su, as soon as the ceremony is complete, I will have your friend brought to you. Is this acceptable?" He tentatively offered this olive branch after the long, trying day, studying her face as she considered his words.

"Yes, it is." She found she couldn't resent him for his actions. He had acted in the best interest of those he loved, the country he was bound to protest. It was what Mari wanted, as well, and her continued entrapment had increased their trust. Su couldn't throw away that sacrifice now. The group slowly began to disperse, retreating to their respective quarters as the evening slowly drew around the palace, lanterns lit and shutters pulled closed. Su lingered in the hallway, watching the warrior wander off, eyes drawn to Tamahome, the boy looking lost without Miaka at his side. Sadness touched her as she wondered what tomorrow would bring for him. Had he already fallen hard enough for Miaka to defy a god? Had they all grown enough for fate to accept this change in direction and lead these men and women to a new end? Her mind was falling deep into what this meant for her and Mari when a voice cut through her reverie.

"A coin for your thoughts?"

"Gods! Oh, don't do that 'Chiri!" Her hand fell from her necklace to her heart, feeling the beat race under her palm. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry." he smiled weakly. "You looked sad. Were the results from the meeting not desirable?"

"It's ok... It's fine. I'm just pensive, I guess." He looked at her a moment longer before frowning quietly, his voice low in his response.

"You don't think we'll succeed."

"I don't know." she admitted. "I just have a strange feeling. Like this is all happening too fast. Too easily."

"Perhaps it is meant to be this way?" Chichiri offered. "Perhaps your heart has suffered so much that this sudden opportunity looks more like a curse than a blessing."

"I hope so." she sighed, looking up at the monk. "How is Mari? Hotohori hasn't given me permission to see her again, yet." She watched the man grow uncomfortable, suddenly very interested in his shoes. "Chichiri, I'm not mad at you. I just want to know if she's ok."

"She was quiet when I left her this morning, just before the meeting. She seemed fine, she just... wasn't interested in talking." He continued to contemplate the floor as he offered quietly, "I should never have told Hotohori you might know more. It was not the right action." It was Su's turn to surprise him, taking his hand in hers as he trailed off. He lifted his gaze to study her, noting that Miaka's presence had rubbed off on the girl. He was beginning to see a common thread between them all – Miaka, Su, Mari– lost, afraid, but filled with emotion and determined courage. How appropriate for Su, a servant of Suzaku, to explode in rage and fire when her heart was hurt. She rubbed her thumb across his knuckles, offering him this small comfort with a sad smile. "You were just doing what you thought you had to do to protect your friends, Chichiri. Mari and I know that. Don't beat yourself up, you've never betrayed anyone." The intonation in her voice shook him more than the words should have. He felt as if she knew a piece of his past kept well hidden, looking straight through his mask at the scar underneath. He nodded, pulling his hand away and letting it fall to his side.

"I... thank you." he choked on the words, confusion of the day warring within him. "We should rest up, you know?" He offered her a wan smile, patting her on the shoulder before he turned down the hallway, heart heavy as his feet began the trek to Mari's cell, already forming an apology in his mind. Su watched him leave for a moment, eyes resting on his tense back as he disappeared toward the dungeons. With a sigh, she turned to her own rooms, dreading what the future had in store.

It was time to pray for a miracle.

 

* * *

_Music: Sets the Blaze - Hope Sandoval and the Warm Intentions_


	19. How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Baka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tas visits the girls.

It was near dark when Mari heard footsteps echoing in the hallway. She sat up out of her half-doze, rubbing her eyes and trying to pretend she hadn't shed any tears in the quiet of the afternoon. If anyone, she was expecting the emperor to return to her first. She hadn't thought she would find Tasuki standing in front of the bars when she looked up. "Tasuki?" Mari questioned him softly, rising from the thin mattress and crossing the few steps it took to place her on the other side of the bars. "Have you found Chiriko? Is he safe?"

"Here." He produced a necklace from the depth of his pocket, thrusting it through the bars and into Mari's hands. "I don't know what else I can do for her." Mari looked at the beads in her hand, running them through her fingers thoughtfully.

"You care about her, don't you?" She looked at the necklace as she spoke, watching the beads glint in the dim light of the dungeon.

"Hell, of course not!" he hedged, stuffing his hands into his pockets roughly and looking anywhere but at her.

"You're a bad liar, Tasuki." Mari pushed, a smile tilting the corner of her mouth ever so slightly. She was amazed anything could make her smile after the day she had, but watching Tasuki turn red was melting her heart.

"So what if I do? What's it ta you, huh?" He crossed his arms, staring back at her, eyes wolf-like in their ferocity.

"Everything." Mari countered. "Look, Tasuki, I said some things to you that should have gone unsaid, and I'm truly sorry. I can't make you forget them, but maybe I can ease your mind some?" The bandit lowered his arms, wrapping his fingers around the bars as he looked at the girl behind them earnestly, praying that she would tell him something that would bring him some measure of peace. "Some of the biggest mistakes you make in your life are made because you hide your feelings. Especially when you care for someone. You keep it bottled inside, letting it boil and destroy you by inches until it explodes. But of all of the warriors of Suzaku, you are the most genuine. The most loyal. And if you can just admit to your feelings, you can save yourself. Caring for her might be what it takes to save you both." Tasuki held her gaze, unsure of what to say. Part of him felt like all this talk was foolish, but another part of him latched onto the truth of her words, ashamed that she could see his heart so plainly and lay it out before him. He felt her push the necklace back into his hands and tried to refuse it, but she only shook her head.

"But..."

"She needs you more right now." She closed his fingers around the necklace, resting her hand on top of his as he gripped them tightly. "So be there for her. I'll be down here when she needs me. But right now she has to stand on her own. While we might have an idea of what fate has in store for some of you, Su and I are flying blind here. We have to make our own way in this world." She stepped back from the bars, returning to the shadows of her cell. For the first time Tasuki truly saw Mari for what she was. A foreign girl, scared and lost in a place where everything was strange and new to her. Arrived with too little, too late. He carefully pushed the necklace back in his pocket, a smirk twisting his lips as he ducked his head, looking at her through the strands of hair that fell in front of his face.

"Y'know, I never was one to leave things to fate." he chuckled. "Thanks, Mari." Turning, he set off down the hallway at a determined pace.

* * *

Suboshi crept along the streets outside of the palace. It had been agony, waiting until nightfall for his chance to strike. Sitting idly by, knowing that his brother's murderer rested like a queen in the hands of his enemy. Dark thoughts clouded his mind, driving him along as he frantically searched for a way in. He was so focused he almost missed the small palanquin being carried quietly through the streets by two servants of the emperor of Konan. He smiled a cruel smile, following the group like a cat in the shadows, waiting for a moment to strike.

He only needed a moment, and found it as the guards approached the gate, lowering the palanquin so they could show their identification to the guard through the small window. It took no time at all to overpower the dozing boy within, striking him roughly on the head and depositing him, unconscious and bleeding, in a nearby bush before taking his place. The guards didn't seem to notice anything amiss as they returned, lifting him into the air and carrying him into the palace.

Directly to the emperor.

* * *

Tasuki found himself walking past Su's room for the third time that evening. Each time he worked up the courage to knock, he lost his resolve, pacing another circuit through the hallways before finding himself back at start once more. He paused again, worrying his lip with his teeth for a moment before raising his hand to try to knock once again.

"Come in." Tasuki looked at his still raised hand, and turned to find Su standing behind him. She couldn't help but chuckle at his surprised expression, forgetting momentarily to be cross at him.

"I... ah, I wanted to talk with ya. If that's all right?" he muttered.

"I said you could come in." Su repeated quietly, pulling the door aside and walking into her room, leaving Tasuki to find his own way inside. He stepped in after her, pausing for a moment before sliding the door shut behind them. "What did you want to talk about?" She turned to find him looking down at his hands, the necklace that matched her own winding between his long fingers. The sight of it brought a strange tightness to her chest. Even though most of her anger had left after this afternoon, this stupid bandit still left her feeling raw when she looked at him.

"I went to see Mari in the dungeon." he began quietly, looking up as Su inhaled sharply. "I tried to give 'er my necklace, so she could talk ta ya whenever ya wanted. So you didn't have ta miss each other s'much." He thumbed absently at one of the beads. Her own hand rose to touch the smaller echo of the jewelry that hung around her neck, her fingers mimicking his unconsciously as they touched the smooth glass.

"But you still have it." she countered.

"Yeah. She wouldn't take it. She told me that I should keep it. Said I needed to be here for you when she couldn't be." He swallowed hard, taking a step toward her and closing the distance between them.

"Oh, Tas," Su was touched by the gesture, her eyes warming and she smiled at him for the first time in what felt like ages, "thank you."

"She told me I should be honest with myself." He looked down at her, taking the last step between them until he could feel the heat radiating off her body, slipping the beads carefully over his head, letting them fall to rest on his shoulders. Her eyes slipped closed, inhaling a deep breath as the comforting thrum of his mind gently fell into place. But something was different now. Su's eyes slid open as she tried to identify it; warmth spreading across her cheeks as the bandit's gaze caught and held her's steady. He raised a hand, letting the back of his fingers stroke the long hair that framed her face behind an ear, sliding back until they rested on the nape of her neck. Su could feel his fingers trembling there, unsure of what to do next.  _She told me to be honest with you._ Tasuki's words echoed inside her head, clouding her thoughts until all that remained was the hesitant touch on the back of her neck and his burning gaze. It was all too much, and she let her eyes fall closed, desperately trying to clear her head as she felt him pull her toward him, his breath hot on her lips before he touched them softly to his, the barest lingering touch of warmth, before pulling away to rest his forehead against hers.

"Tasuki..." she breathed, raising her hands to his face and threading her fingers through his fiery hair. She opened her eyes, looking at him with a quiet wonder, before fisting her hands in his wild hair and pulling his lips to hers again. There was nothing gentle about it, and she could feel him growl against her mouth as he wrapped his arms fiercely around her, pushing her backwards with heated kisses until she felt the wall on her back.

And for the next long while, both of them found that not a word needed to be spoken.

* * *

_Music: White Blank Page - Mumford & Sons_


	20. Sleepless in Seiryuu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari and Chichiri share a moment, then someone has to be a dick and ruin it!

With the coming of the night, the dungeons were plunged into darkness. Mari felt her teeth chattering involuntarily in the gloom. She wasn't frightened of the dark, but the long nights were always the most difficult part of her captivity to endure. With she and Su's secrets revealed, the scrolls and many of the comforts of her cell had been removed, leaving her with nothing to keep her mind occupied. She huddled close into the corner, pulling Chichiri's soft cloak tighter around her shoulders as she closed her eyes and imagined someplace warm. Someplace calm and full of sunlight. She could practically see it, orange and glowing on the inside of her eyelids.

"Mari?" She opened her eyes to find Chichiri standing at the door to her cell, a bright lantern in hand. She smiled at him, slipping from her bed as her body gravitated toward the light.

"It's so late, I wasn't expecting you to come back today."

"Are you tired?" he asked, his head tilting to the side as he regarded her quietly. "I can leave if you'd rather sleep." She shook her head, hair tumbling around her face gently. He found himself swallowing back the urge to reach between the bars and brush it from her eyes.

"No. Stay, please? It's hard to sleep here. It's too quiet." She stepped back against the far wall out of habit as he produced the small key the warden had given him, opening the door and letting himself inside. She shifted awkwardly as he took in her nearly bare cell. "I'm sorry, they took most of it away."

"Tomorrow this will be finished, and then we can move you to chambers more suited to a lady." She smiled at this, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"A lady." she repeated the words quietly. "I'm still amazed you call me that, even down here. I don't really live up to that title." She gestured to the bed, offering him the only seat she could. He sat quietly, pulling the mask from his face and rolling it in his hands nervously. She could see the uncertainty in his naked face as she sat next to him, waiting patiently for him to find the words he needed.

"Mari, I-" he paused. "I have not done right by you. I should never have–"

"Chichiri, you did what was right by you and your friends." she cut him off gently, her fingers brushing against his as she reached for him. "I probably would have made the same choices in your situation." The monk smiled sadly, his fingers wrapping around hers as he squeezed her hand gently. "Oh." Mari's gaze left his, her eyes falling to the rough bandage wrapped around his hand. She quietly pulled it into her lap, cradling it in her hand as gentle fingers pulled the wrapping aside, revealing the angry red gash across his palm. He watched her as she let her fingers trail alongside the wound, mindful not to touch it and cause him undue pain. "You shouldn't have done that." There was a thickness in her voice, a sadness that deepened the tone, making him shiver slightly. "You shouldn't have hurt yourself for me." He freed his hand from her grasp, a finger reaching toward her neck and pushing aside the fabric at her collar, revealing the small red cut at the hollow of her throat. He ran his thumb over it without thinking, feeling her swallow heavily as her eyes flickered up to meet his gaze again. There was a something there, reflected back at him. It had been so long since someone had looked at him like that. He had forgotten the way it made his body stir.

"I..." Chichiri's voice failed him, sticking in his throat as he let his hand fall away. He watched with breath held as Mari reached for his face, unsure if it was the flickering of the lantern, or if her hands were shaking as her fingertips touched the edge of the scar that carved its way across his absent eye. The one remaining to him fell closed as he exhaled, lips parting softly.

"I don't want you to remember me like this." He felt her shift as she spoke. "With a cruel mark branded into your skin." Her hand remained, fingers resting along his cheek as her thumb traced a gentle path over his scar, ghosting along the fine lashes of his closed eye. Chichiri could feel her breath on his skin as she moved closer, the exhalation stirring his wild bangs before her lips came to rest over his scar, soft and warm.

It broke something within him, then. Something he had thought was long dead and buried. Eyes still closed, he reached for her, palm stinging against the warmth of her skin as he threaded his fingers into the hair at the base of her neck. Lifting his face, he sought those warm lips with his own, devouring them with a fierce sigh as he pulled her into his lap. His other arm found its way to her back, pressing her body to his with a ferocity that made her gasp against him. Her mouth fell away from his, sighing against his ear as his name fell from her lips, soft and breathy.

"Houjun." He pressed his face into the curve of her neck, lips brushing against her as she trembled in his arms.

"I shouldn't... I vowed that I would... Mari, tell me to stop this before I can't." he choked against her skin, words turning to a ragged moan as she fell against him once more, her tongue slipping between his lips. He abandoned his struggle, letting himself become lost in her, consequences be damned, as he leaned her back against the thin mattress. Pouring every lost moment, every apology, every unsaid word from the past several months into each kiss. Each caress. Tomorrow would come on its own time, with its own gravity.

Tonight, there was only her.

* * *

"Your Highness. We have the boy."

"Most excellent. Please show him in." The boy walked in, head bowed. He fell to his knees before Hotohori, pressing his head to the floor.

"Your Majesty!"

"You may rise, Oh Dokun." Suboshi rose to his knees before the emperor of Konan, eyes remaining on the tile before him. "Young man, I understand you were born with a curious birthmark." At that, Suboshi's head snapped up, eyes burning into the emperor. How did he know? Hotohori smiled gently, "I gather from your reaction this is true. We believe it makes you Chiriko, one the seven warriors of Suzaku."

Suboshi froze.  _Chiriko? Yes. Of course._  The plan of Nakago's that was destroyed along with his beloved brother when that traitorous woman had betrayed them for these fools. The general hadn't divulged much of the plan to them, but he had learned enough from his brother to fill in the blanks, ready to shoulder the role his brother was meant to play. "Your Majesty?" he ventured.  _Please let him tell me more, please..._

"You should have special powers granted to you by the god, Suzaku. We have come to a time in our history when he is once again to be summoned. Our priestess has appeared, as has her warrior."

"Her warrior, Majesty?"

"Yes. The strange woman who appeared shortly after our priestess. Both she and her friend, believed to be an agent of Kutou, are safe within our walls." At Suboshi's poorly stifled gasp, the emperor chuckled. "Never fear boy, Seiryuu's pawn is here, safe in our dungeons. Kutou won't get their hands on her before we can summon our own god." Hotohori assured him.

_More the fool, you._  The thought rippled cruelly through Suboshi's mind.

"With you comes the last piece of the puzzle. The seven are assembled. The priestess is prepared." Here the emperor paused. "We hope you will acquiesce to help us raise Suzaku at dawn."

Suboshi paused, allowing a pensive look to grow across his face as his mind roared.  _She's here, she's here, I'll get that traitor, she's here!_  "Of course your Majesty." He forced a smile. "As a faithful citizen of Konan, it would be an honor." Hotohori nodded, pleased, gesturing to the guards.

"Please show Master Chiriko to his rooms. You'd best get a good night's sleep, my boy. A long day lays ahead of us."

* * *

It was long dark when Su woke. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, mouth stretching in a yawn, which was abruptly frozen in a gape of panic when a soft snore sounded from above her. She muffled a squeak in the rough cloth under her cheek.  _Okay, WAIT._  Her brain shook itself awake, a grumpy cat finally roused fully from its sleep.  _Somebody snoring?_   _And is that a hand in your hair? And on your b-_

"EEP!" Her squeal was louder this time as she carefully disentangled herself from the wiry arms wrapped in a rather intimate fashion around her and slipped from the bed. Her face immediately broke into a smirk at the sight of the disheveled bandit still asleep in her bed.  _Heh. Oh yeah, right, that._  She felt a small, girlish flutter in her chest as she recalled their evening with a hazy satisfaction, remembering his lips on hers as they had laid curled together on the bed.  _Go get 'im, tiger._  She leaned over the bed to smooth the wild orange hair from his face, placing a soft kiss at the corner of his lips. He rolled toward her, his hand closing on her wrist. She grinned as she pulled away gently, whispering into the dark room. "Be back soon."

Su crept on slippered feet toward Mari's cell. It was late, but she couldn't wait until morning. Her fingers reached for the icy bars of the door, mouth opening to call to her sleeping friend as her eyes adjusted to the low light, not expecting the sight that met her. Chichiri lay at Mari's side, bathed in the soft glow of a lantern beside the bed, the light reflecting off of his skin and painting him amber. Mari lay curled against him in sleep, her head pillowed against his bare chest as his long fingers trailed through her hair. His mask off, Su could see the side of his face that was marred by a cruel scar. The scene took her breath away, his gaze upon her friend soft and caring as he studied Mari's sleeping face, lost in private thought. She silently drew herself away from them, backing away down the hall and away from the cell as quietly as she could. This moment was a private thing, and there would be time to gossip in the morning. A smile crossed her lips as she turned to leave, crashing right into a stiff body.

"Oh!" she whispered, not wanting to disturb the couple in the cell. "I'm-" As she moved to discover who she had bumped into, a strong hand came forward, cupping a cloth around her mouth and efficiently silencing her words. Why was her head turning so muzzy? Why was everything going so blurry?

"Poor timing, girl." A mocking voice filled with barely suppressed rage hissed in her ear. She stiffened, spine turning to ice as she thrashed, struggling against his hands until she slumped, unconscious, into Suboshi's waiting arms.

_Music: Song for Bob - Nick Cave/Warren Ellis_


	21. Exit Stage Kutou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suboshi does violence and gets revenge.

Suboshi shifted the girl's weight, depositing her into an unceremonious pile on the dirt floor, careful to keep silent. No use in getting caught before he had taken care of his mission. Killing the girl would make a fine dessert after he had finished painting the dungeon walls with blood of his brother's killer. "Rise and shine, Lady Mari..." he whispered coldly, easing over the distance to the lit cell, the spheres of his meteors falling from his hand and gently tapping against his leg.

"Hello? Su?" A startled voice called out into the darkness from beyond the bars, a body sitting up in the bed, hands already reaching to the nearby pile of clothes. A male voice. Suboshi cursed loudly, the meteors in his hand coming to life, seemingly on their own accord, as they smashed the lock on the cell door and pushed it open with a loud crash. Mari awoke to the din and movement, her sleep addled brain unable to parse the chaos as Chichiri circled his arms around her protectively, his staff held out in front of them both as a red glow encircled them, shielding them from the vibrant orb that flew out of the dark. Mari shrieked, turning her head into the monk's shoulder as the orb hit the barrier he'd brought up around them with a sharp crack. Chichiri winced visibly as another meteor blow struck the barrier, weakening it as it sapped his strength.

"Who are you? What do you want?!" Mari questioned frantically, turning to peer into the darkness. Her blood turned to ice as a familiar face stepped into the lamplight, features twisted in hatred. "Amiboshi?" Mari gasped.

"How dare you speak his name!" The boy growled, one hard fist striking the barrier before him.

"Suboshi." she whispered with dawning realization. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you traitor!" he hissed, eyes gleaming with a sickening look. "You know damn well why I'm here. Do you really think you could kill my brother and get away with it?" He grinned at her, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end at the insanity she saw in his eyes.

"Amiboshi is dead?" Mari choked back a sob, her worst fears confirmed.

"Don't toy with me! You killed him!" Suboshi's voice broke over the words, tears falling down his cheeks as his fists clenched around the cord of his meteors once more. "I will make you pay for his life by inches." Chichiri pushed Mari behind him as Suboshi began his attack anew. Funneling his will into the meteors, Suboshi weakened the barrier with each hit, finally smashing through the defense, the orb going wide to strike Mari hard on the side of her head, a river of blood dripping down her face as she stumbled to the side, collapsing heavily to the floor. She groaned as her vision swam, aware of Chichiri's cloak fluttering over her once more, looking up to see him raising his staff, the jingle of its ornate decorations an odd counterpoint to the scene.

"You will not have her." The words growled from Chichiri's lips, his one good eye flashing with rage as he summoned a second, stronger shield around Mari. Suboshi snarled at the inconvenience, his weapons once again whipping through the air, ignoring the light surrounding the girl to rain down upon the monk. Chichiri spun from the attack, hissing as the skin on his back flayed beneath the onslaught. He struggled to hold his ground, unyielding to the pain, even as it forced him to his knees. In the distance, he could hear the echoing of footsteps; it would only be a matter of moments before the guards reached them. He only had to hold out until then. He just had to hold on!

"Houjun." He opened his eye at Mari's voice, her eyes shining with the light of his magic, face pale with pain. "Please, stop. I can't-"

"No! Mari-" Her name ended in a moan as another strike drew blood. "I won't let you go. I promise." Mari watched in horror as Suboshi approached, Chichiri growing pale as the heavy blows to his body splattered blood around his head in a gory halo.

"Houjun, please, stop this!" Mari's hand pushed weakly against the ethereal barrier around her, the dull blue glow of her magic flaring briefly around her fingers, fading as her head swam and a wave of nausea wracked her body. Suboshi wrenched the weakened man to his feet, his face a rictus of fury as the meteors spun lazily in the air. The monk brought his hands up weakly, struggling with the boy as his magic drained to the shield surrounding Mari, blood rolling down his back from the broken, battered skin and muscle.

"She is mine." Suboshi's voice was a low, grating whisper as he glared at the man, flinging him to the side. Chichiri's head hit the floor with a sickening crack, and Mari cried out as the shield around her fell away, the light snuffed out with the last reserves of Chichiri's strength. She fought to focus her eyes on him, pushing the dizzy fog away as she sought his face from the dim, tilting swirl the room had become.

"Mari..." Relief poured through her at Chichiri's voice, even as Suboshi's hands closed around her roughly, hoisting her from the floor. Chichiri tried to move from the ground, trembling limbs fighting as he reached for Mari, numb to the pain of his body. Her eyes finally caught his, bloody tears running down her face as she reached for his hand, fingertips just brushing before Suboshi turned, stalking from the room.

An agonized cry broke from Chichiri's chest as the pain finally rushed in, turning his whole world black.

* * *

"Su?! C'mon, Su!" The voice was too loud and too close, booming against the walls of her head, rattling her already aching brain. A moan sprung involuntarily from her chest, one hand fluttering to her head as her eyes opened into the bright, blurry light. The voice cried wordlessly, too close to her ear as she felt herself shifted in someone's arms like a small child, eyes coming to focus on strands of red hair falling over Tasuki's worried eyes.

"Tas', what're you – lemme sleep!" She pushed away from him with a whine. "You let me drink too much again." As she moved away from the boy, she caught sight of her surroundings. Dirt walls, steel bars, a crowd of guards and warrior gathered. "No." Su shoved herself to her feet, stumbling into Tasuki as he rose, catching her and pulling her to his side.

_I need to get you upstairs. Mits–_

_What's going on?_

_Ma– Nothing. We need to get you to Mits._

"Tasuki, what happened?!" Her voice broke from her shrilly, eyes catching sight of an armful of darkly stained sheets a guard was carrying from the little cell down the hall. "No. No, let me go!" She fought her way from his arms, stumbling to the broken door of the cell, falling heavily against the bars, fingers curling over the cold metal as her eyes drank in the sight beyond.

Red. There was red everywhere. Hand prints on the floor, the furniture, sprays of it against the walls. A crowd had gathered in the center, crouched or kneeling around something she couldn't see, their robes blocking her view from where they dragged on the floor, hems stained by the gory mess.

"We were attacked." Tasuki's voice growled as he pulled her to his side once more, arm looping protectively around her waist. "The boy, the one they brought to us. The little bastard wasn't Chiriko. He was one of the Seiryuu warriors."

"Seiryuu... Amiboshi?" The whisper had barely left her lips when Mitsukake slipped by, gently waving the crowd away as he knelt on the floor. As the group moved, Su could see Chichiri laying there, and it became obvious that the red decorating the room was blood from his splintered back, a mess of torn flesh and shredded muscle. What little skin was left to him was either ashen or swiftly bruising aubergine. Her heart clenched, and she turned watery eyes to the boy next to her.  _Where's Mari?!_  Without waiting for an answer, she repeated it out loud, begging him to answer her. "Tasuki, please, I need to know, where is she?" The bandit's face was nervous, eyes searching hers as he shook his head helplessly.

"We don't know." A sob shook Su's shoulders, almost drowning out the weak cough that came from Chichiri as Mitsukake's green healing light enveloped him. The gathered warrior let out a collected breath none had realized they had been holding as Chichiri coughed again before moaning weakly as the healer repaired him from the inside out. With Tasuki's help, Su inched into the cell, eyes widening as she watched Chichiri's skin stitch itself back together over carefully repairing muscle. Raw, healthy pink skin was all that was left as Mitsukake's power fell away, the man sagging into himself.

"Mari!" Her friend's name left his lips in a pained moan, Chichiri trying to push himself to his knees with shaking arms, only succeeding in turning himself to his freshly healed back, hissing as the new, tender skin hit the rough floor. Opening his eye, his gaze caught on Su, and he reached for her. Tripping to his side, she fell to her knees, seizing his hand as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Su. I... I tried. I couldn't... I... I... I'm so sorry." His voice was rough with pain and he closed his eye, brow furrowing.

"I know, 'Chiri. I know." She wiped an errant tear from his cheek, clutching his hand tight in hers.

"I couldn't hold on long enough." He broke down into angry, gasping sobs " I let go... again." Tears streamed from his swollen eye, washing clean trails through the blood that had caked to his face. "I let him take her."

"Who took her?" Su couldn't help herself at his words, frantically seizing on the hint of her friends whereabouts. "Chichiri, where is she? Where did he take her?"

"Mari... she called him Suboshi." He managed to choke out between wracking sobs, his hand tightening on hers convulsively. Su paled at his words, remembering a young family lying in rapidly cooling pools of their own blood. A little girl dying in her big brother's arms.  _Was this the trade?_  Su wondered. _Is this what our meddling has done?_  In the book, Suboshi killed Tamahome's family to avenge Amiboshi's death. But if Amiboshi was already dead, and Suboshi believed Mari was responsible, he wouldn't have anyone but her to turn his rage toward. Shivers claimed her muscles, throat closing as hysteria threatened her mind. She allowed Tasuki to gently pull her from Chichiri's side, pushing her face into his warm neck as her mind filled with hot, white fear, his arms tightening as he felt the edges of her consciousness bleed into his.

_She's not gone yet. They need her. He can't kill her._  It was through his eyes that she watched as Nuriko gently lifted the monk from the ground, cradling the man as if he was no more than a child in a nightmare, face creasing in pain as he carried the monk from the cell.

_I want to go after her. I_ need _to go after her._

_… I'll follow you anywhere._

* * *

Mari found herself falling in and out of darkness. Even when she could open her eyes, the dizziness that claimed her made her vision swim until she was forced to shut them again. The rough bouncing under her stomach coupled with the pain of friction on her ankles and wrists let her know she was bound to the back of a horse, its hooves ringing in her ears like hammers. Beyond that, there was little she could discern, the noise and pain echoing through her skull, building in a cacophony until she could do little but wish for the dark quiet of unconsciousness.

From time to time she awoke to her captor murmuring quietly as he rode. The heated fury of the dungeon had faded, his voice a sullen pout as he addressed his companion, who responded in an all-too-familiar voice. As the full moon crested to its peak in the night sky, Mari was able to keep her eyes open long enough to see the horse that rode alongside, and the elaborately painted face of the rider. A face that let her know then that Nakago had found her.

Cooperation had placated the general the last time she had dared venture into Kutou, curiosity at her power providing her a safe place within the palace walls. Attacking his warrior, fleeing to Konan, and foiling his plans dismissed all of that. She didn't have the luxury of subservience this time, of a power and a mind to be sculpted in his vision.

All she had to offer now was her life.

* * *

 

_Music: Immigrant Song - Karen O/Trent Rexnor_


	22. The Good, the Bad, and the Kouji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tasuki, Su, and Kouji go after Mari.

It was probably the one of the worst plans the boss had ever had. No, definitely the worst, Kouji was sure. It wasn't a surprise, he supposed, not with the state the bandit leader had come to him in. At the banging on the door to his guest rooms in the palace he had shoved a wad of clothing in his rucksack, hiding the gold decorations he had thought would look better in his rooms on the mountain. The boss' voice had rang through the door, rough and sharp, but bringing a grin to Kouji's scarred face.

"Oh, Kouji, it sounds like Gen-chan! Should I let him know we're here, Kouji? I dunno, it is awful late – what if we had a visitor, Kouji? A charming, ha-"

"Kouji, not right now." Tasuki's voice had cut through his well-prepared speech, squashing the grin as the punchline was cut. Yanking the door open, his irked expression soon turned curious as his eyes drifted to Su where she stood at Tasuki's side, eyes hollow in her tear-stained face as she returned his gaze.

Standing back, he let the two in, gently closing the door as they settled to the edge of his bed, Tasuki pushing Su back into the pillows, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before standing to present Kouji with the plan. Tasuki had been furious at the trespass on the palace, the assault on Su, and the kidnapping of her friend. His voice thick with the twang of his village as he outlined his idea. Kouji could tell from Tasuki's glances and long pauses that the girl was chipping in her two cents now and again, though her eyes stayed trained on the bedspread as she gnawed as her fingernails, barely acknowledging the men before her. Kouji had agreed against his better judgement, seeing the obvious holes in the plan, but still willing to risk life and limb for his friend.

A few small tools were gathered, two horses stolen, and within the hour Tasuki, Su, and Kouji were heading as fast as the animals could carry them, straight at the heart of Kutou.

* * *

He had let go of her hand.

The image played through his mind over and over, sometimes blurring from Mari, her hair in her eyes, pain in her face as she was carried from the dungeon. Hikou would appear in her stead, hanging over the cliff, desperate, scared, betrayed. Either way, Chichiri always let go of the hand he clutched at. He failed. Pathetic and weak, he let them down every time, useless to those he tried to save as he fell into darkness. Water and fire swirled around him as pain lashed through his body, his back on fire and his head filled with the booming pulse of his own heart. Something cool and damp was laid across his eyes, drawing him to the surface of consciousness, the horrible visions fading away to a sick guilt curling tight in his heart. He blinked awake, light and sound assaulting him as he opened his eyes to the daylight.

"Why?" Chichiri croaked.

"Chichiri! Oh thank-" Nuriko knelt beside his bed, face drawn in worry.

"WHY?!" Chichiri moaned the word, weak hands grasping at Nuriko's robes. "Why do you all insist I live? I can never help anyone. I can never save them!" He tried to shake the boy, but his fingers slipped numbly from the cloth as he fell back into the sheets, sorrow twisting in his chest. "I'm useless. No strength, no speed. I can't fight, I can't heal. What can I do?"

"Chichiri, you've helped so many! You're a warrior. You will help us save-"

"No." Chichiri rolled his head toward the wall as a suppressed sob wrang itself from his throat. "Not when it matters. I couldn't save her. I couldn't protect her, couldn't help her. I was less than useless."

"Chichiri-"

"Go!" Chichiri roughly barked, driving Nuriko from the room, his face tight with concern. He tried helplessly to bury the tears that pressed at him, wracking sobs erupting as he clawed at the sheets, burying his face as agony ripped through him. A noise, half wail, half roar, ripped from his throat as he struggled to stifle his cries in the mattress.

He had failed her, and he would never forgive himself for what happened to the girl now.

* * *

They had journeyed through the night, the Seiryuu warriors only stopping as they came to a clearing deep in a forest. Mari lay on her side, her head slowly clearing as the sights and sounds around her returned to almost normal. She listened carefully as the voices hissed to each other in commiseration over the crackle of the fire and the scrape of utensils.

_Slowly, slowly..._  she pushed at the ground in front of herself with her bound hands, rolling to her back with a soft moan. The voices paused. Heart in her throat, she sagged against the ground, going limp as she let her eyes drift shut. After an agonizing moment, their voices picked back up, the quiet conversation resumed as she dared risk a glance through her lashes.

Suboshi. She had known as much. The face of her second captor, however, made her blood run cold. Mari swallowed nervously as she remembered Tomo's propensity to torture his victims with their own fantasies. She thought back to the last time she had been in the Kutou palace, her wild magic throwing the painted man against a wall as she made her escape, his careful makeup smeared along the walls. Her head raced to through the past few days, trying to patch together the holes Suboshi's attack had punched into her memories. Her mind reeled, seeking the last calm moment before her world had tumbled into chaos.

_Chichiri..._

_His mouth hot on hers as he had laid her back onto the thin excuse for a mattress, his weight settling over her body deliberately. His hands as they pulled away the cloak wrapped around her shoulders, baring as much skin as he had dared in the exposed cell. His skin under her fingertips as she tore his shirt from his body, her palms pressing to his back as she pulled his body closer to hers. As he fisted his hands into her hair. As their hands had fumbled between them, snaking through the layers of fabric and brushing against warm skin as their minds stepped aside for their passion. Clever fingers coaxing barely suppressed gasps from each other. As she trembled and arched into him, crying out softly into his mouth. As she swallowed his shuddering gasps with her own._

Yes. She was very, very scared about what Tomo could do if he was let loose upon those memories.

* * *

_Music: Hate - Cat Power_


	23. House of Flying Tomos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue squad gets duped, and Tomo does very, very bad things.

They crept through the forest on silent feet, horses abandoned as they moved toward the fire that burned bright through the trees ahead. Kouji turned to Tasuki, exchanging a swift set of hand signals before slipping silently into the dark.

_Follow me_. Tasuki grabbed Su's hand, pulling her in the opposite direction. She followed carefully in his footsteps, trying her best to avoid the twigs and leaves that would herald their presence. She glanced to her left, squinting beyond the trees where she could just see the shapes of two bodies sitting at the campfire.  _Here_. His voice in her mind brought her back to their position.

_What?_  Tasuki was looking up at a tree that was clearly not Mari.

_Get up the tree._  He jerked his head at the branches, face tight.  _I'm not havin' you crashin' in there after what he did to 'Chiri._  The boy crossed his arms, sticking his chin out as he stared her down.  _He's not getting the chance to do the same to you._

_You have_  got  _to be kidding me._  She shook her head frantically at him.  _That could be Mae over there. And beside, what if you guys need me? What if-_

_Up the tree, woman!_  His sharp teeth flashed in frustration as he cut her off abruptly, gesturing at the tree with a thumb.  _You're not coming with us, so you better get to climbing!_  His anxiousness washed over her like water, stirring her panic just enough to force a protest from her.

_Tas, I'm not some wilting flower! I-_  he cut off her mental argument with a swift, fierce kiss, his hands rising to frame her face on either side. He looked at her as he pulled away, fire and concern in his eyes.

_Please. Stay here. I can't do what needs to happen if I'm looking after you too._ Su frowned but acquiesced, quietly stepping into his hand as he boosted her up into the branches at the base of the tree. He looked up at her, watching until she disappeared into the shadows before turning to stalk off toward the fire. She watched from her high vantage as Kouji and Tasuki circled the fire, positioning themselves on either side and preparing to ambush the camp with practiced ease. Her mind conjured an image of them attacking a caravan in their mountain home, all sly professionalism. It was what they did best, and it was amazing to watch them work, even in these circumstances. It brought a shred of hope. She tensed as the boys caught each other's gaze, Tasuki inclining his head ever so slightly, Kouji responding with a nod.

"REAKKAAAAA..." Tasuki charged the camp, tessen drawn and spitting flames as he broke through the underbrush, his battle cry cut short as he skidded to a halt by the fire. "...the fuck?" His voice fell away as he blinked as the empty campsite. He could have sworn there had been two figures sitting there a moment ago.

_What are you doing? Why did you stop?_  Su watched from her hiding spot, confused as the two bandits paced anxious circles around the camp, pausing to kick at logs or trail a hand through the dirt.

_There's no one here!_  He growled angrily, pushing his vantage of the abandoned campsite into her head The camp was empty. Nothing was there, not even a footprint. Just a slowly dying fire.  _We got played._

"Boss?" Kouji stood opposite him, rubbing his eyes as he looked at the empty campsite. "Boss, I think we're chasin' ghosts here." The bandit kicked the dirt in frustration, falling heavily on a log and crossing his arms.

"They can't be far! Come on, Kouji. We'll keep looking." Su yelled, dropping from the tree and landing with less delicacy than she had intended to. She was running on the last dregs of her energy, and it was starting to show. "We have to find her!" Tasuki made a noise in his throat, looking away from her into the darkness beyond the firelight. "She's got to be out there! Don't you want to find her?"

"Su, there ain't nothin' left we can do." It was Kouji who stepped forward to rest a hand on her shoulder, biting his lip as he contemplated their options. "Yeah, we could ride off into the night and try ta find 'er. But s'more likely we'll spend the night chasin' our own tails. An' I heard what that kid did to yer friend. Most likely we'd get ourselves dead, and that don't help no one." She looked at him a long moment, feeling her heart break as she realized he was right. A couple of bandits and her against a Seiryuu warrior? If one boy in the dungeons was all it took to stop both Mari and Chichiri, they didn't have much of a chance as they were now.

"Let's go back, then." She willed her voice not to crack, not to waver under the weight of the words. "We should go home." Su turned, defeated, shuffling back the horses. Tasuki watched her retreating back, thinking of his visit with Mari earlier in the evening.

_"So be there for her. I'll be here when she needs me. But right now she has to stand on her own."_

A hiss left his lips as ran after her, wrapping her shoulders in his arm as he pulled her close, her head falling heavily against him.  _Tomorrow. Once we're rested, we'll try again._  he assured her, feeling her nod her head softly against him.

_Yeah, tomorrow._

* * *

Mari rolled over again slowly, trying to turn her back to the fire. Unconscious, she hadn't been much of a threat, and Suboshi hadn't taken much care to bind her any more than was necessary to keep her from tumbling off of his horse. She began flexing her hands, trying not to make a sound as pain blossomed over her wrists when the ropes chafed her raw skin. She tensed carefully until she felt the ropes began to loosen, just enough to snake one of her hands out, freeing it from its confines. Then it was just a matter of picking the knot away until the bindings fell to the dirt. She eyed the nearby underbrush quietly, keeping an ear trained on the two by the fire. They were lost in their whispers, and if she was careful, if she moved slowly enough, then just maybe...

Her head was pulled back with a vicious yank, startling her and causing her to choke on a strangled cry.

"Going somewhere?" Tomo's painted face grinned at her from the corner of her vision, the unnatural lines amplifying his expression and turning him all the more sinister. A carefully crafted illusion. "And after we were nice enough to come fetch you from your prison cell, too. Tsk, tsk. How rude you are, my Lady." He cackled, nervous and high pitched into her ear, pushing her head roughly back to the ground with enough force to bring blackness swimming back to the edge of her vision. A little payback for smearing his face against the walls of the palace back in Kutou.

"Bastard." Mari coughed, tasting blood on her tongue.

"So inelegant." he sighed, placing a toe under her stomach and kicking her onto her back. She flipped heavily, raising a hand to her eyes to try and stop the light from burning through them as it sent a lancing pain through her head. He pulled it away, pinning it to the ground over her head and grabbing her chin roughly with his free hand, eyes burning into hers with barely controlled hatred. She spat at him, the bloody mess spattering against his cheek, and she felt his nails digging into her face, piercing the flesh. "Horrible, filthy woman." His eyes bore into her, looking through her, and she suddenly felt dirty, like he was looking past her at things she didn't want him to see. "Oh, you filthy thing." He laughed that high, nervous laugh again, and it seemed to echo inside her head. His sickly perfume invaded her senses, fogging her vision as the laughter faded away into a dull whisper. Her vision swam, blurring and refocusing until she couldn't think anymore.

"What's...happening?" Mari groaned weakly, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Shhhhh." A hand gently stroked her cheek, and she felt soft lips on her forehead. "It's ok, Mari." She opened her eyes to find Chichiri hovering over her, his fingers threaded into hers as he rained gentle kisses along the side of her face.

"'Chiri?" she questioned, dazed. She felt heavy, her mind slow and foggy. She couldn't seem to remember how she had gotten here. Alone in the forest with him. She closed her eyes softly as his lips found her neck, his tongue dipping to the hollow where her throat and collarbone met. "Chichiri, what are you doing?" She sighed despite herself, heat blossoming in her stomach at his touch. He stilled, and she felt the hot trail of his breath over her throat and chin as he lifted his face to look at her, his open eye half-lidded, pupil wide with barely suppressed desire.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" His lips moved against the corner of her mouth, a hand trailing lightly down her body, parting the collar of her robe and easing it over her shoulder. His lips fell to the bare curve there, his eye never leaving hers.

"Did I?" She moaned softly as his lips followed her collarbone back to her neck. He released her hand, unthreading his fingers from hers and lowering them to her sash, deftly untying the ornate knots at her waist and allowing the gauzy silk to fall away.

"We both did." he murmured as he parted the fabric further. "That's why we slipped away and came out here." His lips were on hers then, his tongue sliding against hers as eager hands delved beneath her robe, filling themselves with warm flesh. She found herself arching into him, suddenly not caring about anything but his touch, his name falling from her lips.

"Hojun!"

"That's disgusting!" Suboshi hissed from his seat by the fire, watching as Tomo wound his illusions around the girl, playing the part of her lover as he twisted her mind to his will. Tomo pulled away from Mari's mouth, licking his lips as he looked at the younger boy.

"Oh, come now, Suboshi. Traitorous or not, it would be a shame to let her go to waste, don't you think? Wasn't it you yourself who said you wanted to make her suffer for what she did?" He pulled Mari up into his lap, her robe falling away just enough to expose most of the bare expanse of her back to Suboshi. The boy seemed frozen, unable to look away. Mari's head fell forward heavily, her lips finding Tomo's neck and leaving hazy, dazed kissed there. He raked his sharp nails up her back, scarlet trails following the points on her fair skin before his fingers twisted into her hair, pulling her head back roughly. She groaned deeply, calling out the name of another man, and Suboshi's eyes widened. "Perhaps you would prefer that she desire you? Or your brother, perhaps?" Tomo looked at Suboshi through his lashes. "She cared for him, you know. Maybe not like this, but it would only take a small push."

"You're lying. My brother hated her, just as we do!" he hissed, face pinching tightly in anger as tears rose, unbidden, to his eyes. "She killed him. That bitch killed him."

"Oh, is that what you think?" Tomo laughed as he tossed Mari to the ground, rising swiftly to grab Suboshi by the wrist. A cruel smirk crossed his lips as he held the boy's gaze while he pulled his sleeve back, dragging his nails roughly down his skin. Suboshi pulled his arm free, cradling it against his chest as blood began to well up in the scratches.

"Are you insane!" Suboshi screamed, looking at his arm. "I should ki..." The threat died in his throat as pain blossomed anew, bloody slashes appearing from nowhere to form a simple sentence in his flesh.

_Do you have the girl?_

Suboshi fell to his knees, overcome with joy. His brother! Amiboshi was alive! "But Nakago said he was dead." he whispered, tracing the bloody characters gently with a disturbing fondness. "Why would he say that if it wasn't true?" He raised suspicious eyes to Tomo, who only laughed behind his hand.

"Stupid boy! Lord Nakago simply needed a distraction. A distraction you easily provided for us. We never could have gotten our hands on her without you little temper tantrum." He shrugged, returning to the fireside, his interest in the boy and the games with the unconscious Mari dissolved. "Though, if it were me, I would have killed the boy." He shrugged, unable to refrain from throwing one more barb at the boy. "He probably will once we summon Seiryuu."

Suboshi glared daggers at Tomo's back as he rose to his feet. Silently advancing upon him, his meteors rose to life, spinning softly in the air and poised to strike.

* * *

_Music: Wrap Your Arms Around Me - BNL_


	24. Pretty Fly for a Sand Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiitskun pays the gang a visit.

Dawn was breaking over Konan when the trio returned to the gates of the palace. The streets of the city slowly came to life around them as their horses trod along, heads low. They were too tired to take notice of their surroundings, only pausing once, when a man hurried in front of Kouji's horse suddenly.

"Watch where you're going, Gramps!" Kouji warned, reining in his mount to keep it from spooking.

"A thousand pardons." The man bowed awkwardly, trying to support an unconscious boy in his arms as he did so. Kouji softened at the sight of the child, a yawn stretching his scarred face.

"Your kid there have a little too much fun last night?" he asked, smiling lazily.

"No, sir. We found him in the streets near the palace this morning. Someone attacked the poor child in the night and left him for dead. We're taking him to a healer."

"Shit." Kouji breathed. "Well, don't let me stop ya!" He moved his horse to the side, allowing the man to continue his hurried shuffle.

"Oi! Kouji! ya comin' or what?" Tasuki hollered from down the street.

"Yeah, comin'!" The blue-haired bandit called back, kicking his horse forward, the words the man had spoken falling to the wayside as he caught up with his friends. When they finally entered the palace courtyard, there were three servants waiting for them.

"Lord Tasuki. Lady Su. Please dismount and follow us. His Highness demands your presence. We will see to your friend." The returning trio exchanged worried glances, and after a long moment Kouji nodded, leaning forward to clasp Tasuki's forearm in a firm shake.

"Good luck, Genrou." Kouji whispered, holding his friend's eyes a long moment before wheeling his horse to gallop from the palace gates.

"Lord Tasuki! Your –" One of the servants protested, beginning to make chase.

"Leave 'im!" Tasuki called after him. "He's going home. There's nothin' for him here." He jumped down from his own horse, handing off the reins as he reached to help Su dismount, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. Closing his eyes, he rested his head against hers for a quiet moment, trying to give them a moment of peace before their inevitable royal scolding.

"If you please, the rest of the warriors await you."

"Let's go, then." Su threaded her fingers through Tasuki's hand still at her waist as the servant led them forward, deep into the palace grounds. Su had been expecting to be led directly back to Hotohori's throne room, mentally bracing for what would no doubt be a hideous storm of accusation and reprimands. It surprised her when they didn't enter the palace at all, instead bypassing it to trail into a small walled courtyard she had never seen before. The servant stopped at the door, bowing low and leaving them in front of an ornate shrine, closing the heavy wooden door to the alcove behind them.

"Come forward, Tasuki of the Suzaku, and join your brethren." A creaky voice called from the darkness inside the shrine. "And you as well, my girl. We have much to discuss." Tasuki and Su cast a nervous glance at each other before stepping forward. A bubble of diaphanous light popped into existence as they moved forward into the shrine, shedding a pale pink light through the room. Another bubble popped up, and another, and another, each lighting the gloom of the shrine they found themselves in. The tableau appeared before them as their eyes adjusted to the low light, blinking away the last of the sunspots, and they found an ancient woman before them – a wizened creature, jowly and white-haired, but with an aura of unspeakable power.

"Taitsukun!" Su exclaimed softly. The old witch smiled.

"That's right, my girl. At least you have the presence of mind to recognize a powerful being when you see them." She gave a disdainful eye to Miaka and Nuriko here, who both had the decency to look abashed. "Sunakake-Baba, indeed." The old woman harrumped, gesturing for the assembled group to take a seat on the marble floor. "Let us start. Time is running short for you and Suzaku. Nakago is moving his pieces into place. The seven are assembled, the priestess has been readied, and," her gaze trained on Su, "your friend will be in his hands, to pledge her allegiance, willingly or not." With a scuffle and aggrieved noise, Chichiri drew their attention as he struggled to his feet. His fox-like mask was firmly in place, but the painful tension of his body was apparent as he wrenched his arm free from Miaka, whirling and storming from the room.

"Chichiri!" Nuriko moved to go after him, but Taiitsukun raised a hand to stop the effete boy.

"Leave him. Chichiri's anger will come in handy on the journey that lies ahead." The old woman's eyes softened briefly as she spoke of her former pupil. She let her gaze drift across the nervous faces before her, not for the first time wishing there was more she could do for the rag-tag lot. "It is imperative you find the final warrior and assemble to summon Suzaku before they do. It is the only choice to keep the war between Kutou and Konan from tearing your little world apart." She allowed the enormity of this to sink in before she continued. "But, there is one more snag in the cloth. Merely burning the Universe of the Four Gods will no longer be enough to summon Suzaku. Not since she arrived." Su tensed as the old woman nodded to her, feeling the scrutiny of the warrior before her.

"Look ya old hag," Tasuki stepped in front of Su, baring his fangs at the witch, "I oughta-"

"And exactly who are you calling an 'old hag', you poor excuse for a bandit king?!" Taiitsukun towered over the boy despite her small stature, eyes flashing dangerously. Tasuki ignored the power that hung heavy in the air, arms crossing firmly before him as he opened his mouth once more.

"You! And I could think of a few more things I'd like to-" Su's hand on his arm pulled him back, her elbow in his ribs quickly shutting him up.

"She's right." Su sighed, "With our presence, Mari and I have disrupted the natural order of your path. Introducing our lives into your world has only caused things to go topsy-turvy." She turned to Taiitsukun, eyes nervous as her mind raced forward along the path of what might have been. "We're to go to Hokkan and retrieve the Shinzaho of Genbu, if I'm not mistaken?"

"That is correct."

"With all that it entails?" Su raised her eyes to Taiitsukun, pleading. "No... help, from me?" Taiitsukun sighed, the question weighing heavily on her old bones. Not allowing the girl to help those she had befriended would be cruel, especially with her knowledge of their journey. It could be that further help from the foreign girl might be able to save a few lives, but fate would only throw the world into more chaos before it could be healed by the presence of the beast god. The choice was close to impossible, but one, Taiitsukun realized with a wave of relief, that wasn't really up to her.

"My girl, if I said no, would you really listen? Your being here has destroyed everything that was meant to be." She held up a hand as Tasuki started angrily. "Silence, bandit. A disruption that could still prove beneficial to all. Or one that could be the very undoing of this world."

* * *

_Music: Young Blood - The Naked and Famous_


	25. Kutou Wonderland and the End of the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nakago gets visitors, Chichiri has a moment

Tomo was, all things considered, rather put out as he rode up to the gates of Konan with two inert bodies in tow. Days on horseback and cold nights in the woods. The interruption of his little game with the foreign girl. The inconvenience of knocking that ridiculous boy out just to make it back here safely. It was all he could do to keep a glamour about him to disguise his disheveled state as he slipped through the gates. He never had been cut out for this life of a warrior. Palace intrigue, producing the occasional hallucination or two, playing the games afforded to him by his status as a Seiryuu warrior, that was what his life should rightfully consisted of. Not these little quests that had grown in number as of late. Nakago sending him far afield with the riff-raff team he had assembled, despite Tomo's protests.

_But does he ever listen?_ Tomo sneered to himself. _No. Silly man thinks he knows best._ _Well, we'll certainly show him a thing or two, won't we, Shin?_ Dismounting the horse, Tomo gestured the palace guards toward Suboshi, sliding Mari from his own horse and tucking her neatly into his arms. He studied her intently for a moment, tugging her robes carefully into place, exposing a purpling mark on her collarbone while covering a scratch from his long nails. He reached carefully into her mind, giving things a gentle stir.

_Mari lay sleeping, her head pillowed on Chichiri's bare shoulder. The monk traced a hand down her features, fingers delicately caressing her eyelids, the bridge of her nose, her bottom lip. She smiled as she woke from her doze, stretching languid and catlike against him. "Mmmmm, morning." She heard his chuckle reverberate through his chest as he shifted, lips following where his fingers had been just moments before._

_"Good morning" his lips traced against her eyelids."How are you?" he inquired of a cheekbone. "I'm doing quite well, myself." he whispered against her lips, before claiming them roughly with his own. Something about the intensity of the kiss put Mari's mind on edge, struggling against the man for a lucid moment before his hands traced over her figure and her mind went foggy._

Tomo smirked as the girl moaned into his robes, pushing against him.

_Perfect._

* * *

Nakago put but half a mind to the maps laid before him. The positions of the armies of Konan mattered not to him. The foolish emperors could tear their countries to rubble, burn their lands, and sow the ashes to the wind for all he cared. Their power was nothing next to what would be his when Seiryuu was summoned. As if on cue, servants swung open the doors to the room, Tomo sweeping in as two guards trailing behind him. At a jerk of his head, one of the guards deposited a body at Nakago's feet. Suboshi, the fool. He had obviously got himself into a tangle with Tomo, and his pained murmurs were the only thing letting Nakago know the boy was still alive. A wanton moan sounded through the room, the sound jerking Nakago's attention back to Tomo. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the limp body the painted man cradled close where he knelt.

"Is that...?"

"Yes, Lord Nakago." Tomo's eyes looked down at the face cradled against his shoulder, a look of mock fondness touching his features. As Nakago drew near, he caught sight of the girl's flushed face, a small whimper escaping her throat as her tongue darted out the trace over dry lips. His own mouth curled in disgust.

"What have you done to the girl, Tomo?" The question was quiet, dangerous, his eyes searching the sly mans face. Tomo's thin lips curled into a smile as the girl shifted in his arms, her hand creeping across Tomo's chest, over his shoulder, curling into his hair under Nakago's suspicious eyes.

"I'm sure I don't understand what you're asking me, my Lord. I am delivering her in perfect condition, not a scratch–"

"Houjun!" The cry left the girl's throat in a sob, her eyes flying open to stare, shocked into Tomo's face. Nakago watched, curious, as his the painted man's aura shimmered, the elegant glamour dropping to reveal a face smeared with makeup, hair and clothing rumpled, cruel mouth bowing into a seductive smile.

"I'm afraid not, my dear." Mari pushed herself from Tomo's arms, falling at Nakago's feet. Her eyes widened, sweeping up his boots and armor, coming to rest on his face as a groan of terror curled from her throat.

* * *

Each according to his needs. This had been something Ri Houjun had heard time and again growing up in his agrarian village. At the school he attended as a youth; as farmers shared their crop; as his father insisted Hikou's family take their hand-me downs. Hiko's family had never been lucky, their land dry and rocky, rarely serving up a years worth of food in a harvest. Houjun had never wanted for anything.

Until he had seen Kouran.

In his confident youth, their life easily had laid itself out in his mind. His courtship of her, their marriage, children – he expected it all to come as easily to him as most things in his short life had. He hadn't expected someone's need for her to be greater than his own. To be more deserving of her love.

He could see now. He had been destined, even then, to become the Suzaku warrior Chichiri. His needs were few in life. Hikou had been destined for little; Kouran's kind beauty had been his need, not Houjun's. But, he had demanded revenge from Hikou, causing his death as much from his greed as from his weakness. He had held Hikou over the cliff out of jealous rage; he had let his hand go out of weakness.

And now it was all happening again. He'd sought Mari out in selfishness, seeking the comfort of her approval, her warmth. He'd ignored his vows, personal, spiritual – he'd ignored it just at the touch of her fingers to his scar, at her forgiveness. Just to feel her closer.

After the flood, all the death, his eye, he'd selfishly tried to escape, returning to the river to join Hikou and Kouran in their sleep. Rescued, he'd soon found himself training with Taiitsukun, moving forward to what was his destiny. He'd found some meaning in his powers, his reinvented life. Being able to hide behind the mask helped. Taking vows that he'd never touch someone, never be with someone, and therefore never again hurt someone as he'd hurt Kouran and Hikou offered something close to self-forgiveness. And he'd thrown it all away out of selfish greed. Again.

Now Mari was gone, kidnapped by the man who had almost killed him. Swept away to the enemy, her life as close to forfeit as he could imagine. So here he lay, in the dark of his room, a jeweled dagger he'd stolen from Tasuki's room clutched close to his heart, tears streaming over his temples into his hair, still shaking from the sobs that had wracked his body hours before. He felt numb, broken, achy. His head pounding, his mouth dry, his eyes tired and sandy.

He wanted to sleep.

Taiitsukun had said they wouldn't be able to summon Suzaku without all seven warriors. Without him, the world would be torn asunder, his friends dying painful, misbegotten deaths. Su and Miaka tortured as they tried to hold it all as together as best they could. People would die, just so Houjun Ri could give up the ghost. He was being selfish again. Swallowing down the pain, the remorse and self loathing, Chichiri sat up in the bed, casting the dagger to the floor and squaring his shoulders. Determination strengthened his resolve. The Suzaku warriors would be the first to summon the beast god. He would see to that. It was the least he could do – for his friends, for the foreign girls, for Hikou, for Kouran.

For Mari.

* * *

_Music: Sleep Alone - Bat for Lashes_


	26. Gaijin in a Strange Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're on a boat!

"You disgust me." Nakago drawled, looking past Mari to stare down Tomo. "I did not know your depravity ran so deep." He turned his back on them both, Mari's panicked gasps reaching his ears as Tomo reached for her once more. "Leave her." The warning came low, his voice icy as Tomo cringed back from the girl.

"Yes, my Lord." Tomo bowed his head low, locking eyes with Mari's terrified ones as he rose. His tongue trailed along the edge of his lips in a hungry taunt. His wan smile made her stomach turn over. Nakago turned to ponder the girl for a moment, watching as she tried to disappear, hiding herself in the shredded remains of her robe. She looked like a spent whore. Tomo's cruel handy work was manifest on her skin in dark marks and sickly red welts. It crossed his mind to simply kill her, just to spite the painted fool. To bend him a touch further into subservience. But he wasn't one for unnecessary waste. He would not discard her until he was certain that she wasn't useful anymore.

"I will keep her for the time being. You can have your plaything back once Seiryuu has been summoned." Tomo giggled like a foolishly at the prospect, eyes gleaming. He walked toward Mari, letting his long fingernails trail along her head as he passed her, collecting a few stray hairs up and letting them fall away slowly.

"See you soon, my pet." His voice seemed to crawl over her skin like spiders, and she cringed away from his touch as he left her, disappearing through the great doors.

"And what am I to do with you?" Nakago drawled lazily, turning an eye on Mari as she looked up at him, eyes wide in terror. He advanced a step, watching with wry amusement as she scooted back along the floor, moving away from him awkwardly on her hands and knees until she found her back pressed against one of the great columns in the room. A small wind began to stir around her as she tried desperately to protect herself, but she was too weak. It fell away after doing nothing more than disturbing a few hairs on her head. "Traitorous woman. Did you really think you could outwit me?" He reached down, taking a fistful of her hair and pulling her to her feet. She yelped, clawing at his hands with bloody fingernails as her head screamed in pain.

"Nakago," she choked, "let me go, please! I'm not of any use to you now." She pleaded desperately, tears falling down her cheeks in grimy rivers.

"You don't get to decide such things." he chuckled softly in her ear. "And besides, even if you are of no use to me," his hand traced one of the bite marks Tomo had left upon her neck, watching with satisfaction as she winced in pain, "it seems that Tomo has not quite finished with you. I'm sure he's saved himself something for dessert."

"No! Please, no!" she screamed. Mari replayed all the moments in her head. Every moment of false tenderness she had been trapped in. Every kiss. Every touch. All lies. All Tomo. She felt her stomach heave, her body spasming violently and leaving her gasping for air. Nakago moved toward the door, his hand still roughly fisted into her hair as he dragged her along behind him in a stiff half crouch. 

"Guard!" he bellowed, slamming her bodily against the wall as he waited for the doors to open. "Clean this woman up and take her to the dungeon." He transferred her roughly into the guard's armored hands, watching as she was dragged from the room, barely able to keep herself on her feet. He was almost impressed with Tomo. How thoroughly the man had been able to break her fiery little spirit. If he had the time, he might have considered giving the priestess of Seiryuu to him as well. But he needed her whole and untouched. He reached into the pouch at his waist, fingers wrapping around the small vial of kodoku that rested within. No, time was short, and there were much, much simpler ways to bend the priestess to his will.

* * *

Su stood at the docks, watching as the boat was loaded with enough supplies and cargo to last them the better part of a year. She had tried to assure Hotohori that they didn't need so much, but he was insistent. In addition to a blessing from Taiitsukun, each of them, herself included, had been fully outfitted with new armor, weaponry, and wardrobes befitting their newly appointed status as royal emissaries. He stood nearby, surveying the preparations and ensuring that his orders were being carried out in full.

It had been agreed upon that he would not join them in their search. While he was a warrior of Suzaku, he was also Emperor Saihitei, Fourth Emperor and ruler of all Konan. He had a responsibility to his people. She could see his sadness reflected on his face as he watched them all prepare for their journey, one of his hands curled around the scroll that Taiitsukun had asked him to hold in his safe keeping until the last warrior was found. Su hoped he would find some purpose in searching for Chiriko while they were away, keeping him occupied and safe until they could return. And if she had her way, they would all return.

"Do I have to get on that thing?" Tasuki whined at her back, resting his chin on her shoulder as he eyed the boat warily.

"Afraid you'll drown, mountain man?" she quipped, turning to look at him with a bit of a smirk.

_Stupid woman_. he mentally chided her, but she could feel him smile into her hair before he left her side, making a great show of walking bravely up the gangplank and onto the ship.

_That's my boy._  she called back, mental laughter making the words feel crystalline in her head.

_I'm not so sure 'Chiri isn't going to drown himself, though._  Su let her gaze shift to the prow of the grand ship, squinting to make out the figure who sat quietly at front the of the vessel, legs crossed as he contemplated the roll of the waves. The monk hadn't spoken a word to anyone since he had retreated from the shrine several days prior, disappearing into his room and emerging only when they were ready to set sail. He hadn't even opened his door for Mitsukake's little cat when he had come pawing at the monk's door looking for entrance, leaving the small beast to meow plaintively in the hall. When he finally did show himself, it was again behind that damn mask, its serene expression betrayed by his tense posture. He had quietly returned Tasuki's dagger back into his hands without any explanation, turning from the bandit's wide-eyed gaze and walking away.

_He's on the ship, it's a start._

_I s'pose._

_Give him time, Tas. There are things from his past that are still raw. He's hurting right now._  She felt him searching for words, felt the mental uneasiness that touched his mind when she knew something about them that she shouldn't.

_This is one of those 'don't ask' things, ain't it?_

_Yes... and no. Some of it is..._ she began hesitantly.  _The things from his past. He'll tell you about them someday, when he's ready. But this, right now... I think this is mostly tied to Mari._

_Ahhhh! Way to go, 'Chiri!_  Tasuki grinned at Su from the deck of the ship, making a crude gesture when he was sure he'd caught her eye. She laughed into her hand softly.

_I don't think its like that, you pervert._  She covered her face to hide the redness that tinged her cheek as Tasuki imagined some colorful scenarios.  _Geez, Tas!_  She felt the apology more than heard it, and he cleared his mind, listening seriously again.  _Anyway, whatever uh... understanding they've come to, he obviously feels he's betrayed her. Just trust me when I tell you that's a hard thing for him to swallow._

_Goddamnit, that wasn't his fault!_

_I know that! So does everyone else._  She sighed inwardly, kicking a nearby rock into the water.  _Doesn't stop him from feeling how he does, though._

"Lady Su, might we speak a moment?" Hotohori's soft voice unknowingly interrupted their silent conversation, and she turned her attention to him as he beckoned for her to join him a small distance away where they could not be overheard. "Lady Su, I understand the position you are in, but I would be remiss in my duties if I did not try to implore you to aid us with your foresight once more." He watched as she looked away, looking at anything but him. "Taiitsukun has convinced me that we are all better off ignorant of our fates. I do not ask that you tell me. I only ask that if you can, you try to alter it for the better. As a warrior, I understand that sacrifice is necessary. But as a man, in my heart, I long for the safety of those I hold dear, selfish as that may be."

"Of course!" Su met his gaze again, eyes wide and earnest. "I would never wish harm on any of you! That's why I couldn't stay behind. I promise you, Hotohori, I will do everything in my power to bring them all home." He looked at her, outfitted in her armor, looking every bit the warrior of Suzaku, though she had no mark to distinguish her as such, and he smiled softly. He could feel the blessing Taiitsukun had imparted upon the girl. The aura of Suzaku radiated off of her in waves, and he wondered if even she knew what power she possessed. If she had been the first to arrive, he could easily have believed her to be the priestess, instead of Miaka. His gaze fell away from Su to Miaka and Tamahome as they stood together on the dock, whispering in hushed tones, their heads close together. He wondered momentarily if Tamahome would have found himself in love with Su instead of Miaka if the their places had been reversed. If he himself would have loved her as he once thought he loved Miaka, believing her to be their savior. He pondered the future that Su claimed to have interrupted. One in which she did not exist, and realized in that moment that wondering how life would have unfolded without her was about as productive as wondering what life would have been like had be been born a fisherman, or a woman, or a tree. This was his reality, strange as it was, and it would play its course as Suzaku saw fit.

"I believe you will." he smiled softly at her, watching her eyes shine at his words. She reached for him, hugging him gently, and he found his arms encircling her, taking comfort in the simple gesture.

"Thank you." she whispered quietly, pulling herself from his embrace and bowing low before turning to board the ship.

* * *

_Music: Love is Blindness - Jack White_


	27. Life of Ri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari is prisoner. Seiryuu is pissed. Su is worried

Mari woke suspended in chains, her body shivering as icy water dripped from her hair. Apparently 'cleaning her up' had entailed stripping her to nearly nothing before dousing her with a filthy bucket of river water and leaving her to dry in chains. The entire ordeal had been just enough to steal the last of her energy, and she hadn't even remembered passing out. As her head cleared, she became acutely aware of every scratch, bite, and bruise inflicted upon her as her body strained against her bonds, stretched almost to the point of breaking. She felt the manacles cutting into her wrists as the weight of her body pulled her toward the earth, her feet barely able to touch the ground.

"Mari." The voice was weak, calling out to her in the darkness.

"Who's there?" she whispered back, unable to see anything but the barest shadow.

"It's me. Amiboshi." His voice was so hoarse from disuse she could barely recognize it.

"A... Amiboshi? I thought Nakago had killed you." she breathed a choked sob, relieved to hear his voice, even if she couldn't see him.

"I had prayed that they wouldn't find you."

"Oh, Amiboshi. Why didn't you run?" She could hear his chains shift, the sound cold and harsh in the quiet of the dark cell.

"I couldn't. Suboshi was here. This is our home. There was no place for me anywhere else, not without him." She shuddered as she thought of his twin. Of the insane gleam in his eye as he had rained his vengeance down upon she and Chichiri both, and fell silent. She had nothing left to say. They were both here now. "I'm sorry, Mari."

"I know. I am too." They didn't speak then, letting the darkness and silence stretch between them. She couldn't be sure how much time passed in the tense silence before a warm light began to cut through the gloom. Three figures approached in the torchlight, ignoring Mari in favor of her companion. Suboshi rushed to his twin, collecting the boy in his arms as he embraced him fiercely. Mari could finally see him in the murky light, the imprisoned boy a mere shadow of his more robust brother. Limbs thin and skin sallow, save for the angry red chafing around his wrists and neck from the cruel iron chains.

"Brother." Amiboshi breathed softly, letting his head fall against his twin's shoulder.

"Is this him?" Mari shifted, trying to stand on her numb feet as she heard Yui speak to Nakago, looking up at the general expectantly.

"It is, my Priestess." he affirmed cooly. "He has been kept alive for you, despite his failure."

"Y...Yui!" Mari called at her back, straining against her chains. Yui turned to look at her, her eyes cold and distant.

"And who is she?" The blonde girl stepped closer to Mari, holding the torch in her face and causing Mari to cringe back as the light stung her eyes.

"No one to be concerned with, Lady Yui." She stared long into Mari's eyes, narrowing them slightly before turning away.

"Very well, Nakago." Mari watched with a dim horror as Yui slipped her hands around Nakago's arm, resting her head on his shoulder. "Suboshi, release your brother and bring him with us. We summon Seiryuu at dawn." Suboshi followed Yui's orders like an obedient dog, gathering Amiboshi's weak body in his arms and carrying the boy from the dungeons, leaving Mari once again alone in the darkness.

She lost track of the time then, minutes turning to hours. She fell in and out of light sleep, waking to find her shoulders screaming in pain. In the dark, it felt as though her mind was beginning to fray around the edges. Every noise made her jump. She thought she heard the ghost of Tomo's cruel laugh in the echo of a drop of water. She felt phantom hands ghosting on her skin in every stirring of foul air that brushed past her. She wondered if she would be able to sense it when Seiryuu was summoned, although she doubted that awareness would earn her anything other than a warning of how much time remained before Nakago turned her over to Tomo. Though perhaps she'd be lucky.

Perhaps Nakago would just kill her.

* * *

"KAIJIN!" Yui cried, a great blue light erupting from her as she cast the ancient copy of the Universe of the Four Gods into the fire, watching the unnaturally dark flames lick at the paper until it was ash. Nakago awaited the beast god, his heart beating in his throat. Soon he would taste true power. The wind around the girl ceased suddenly, and the air hung unnaturally still around them in the early morning before a great blue light erupted from the dais, throwing them all back violently.

_Fools!_  A cruel voice bellowed at them in the still air, resonating in their skulls and causing their vision to sway! Nakago rose of his feet, his blood boiling at the intrusion.  _Foolish children! Did you think it would be so simple?_

"What is the meaning of this!" Nakago roared, clawing his way to his feet as he cried out into the empty air.

_The other girl!_  The voice echoed in his skull.  _Did you not think that she should play a role in this as well? Her allegiance must be sealed to me before I can be summoned to this world! That was most unwise of you, Ayuru._  Nakago gasped as the voice called him by his true name, turning his legs to water as he fell to his knees under the gravitas of the voice. The other Seiryuu looked at him in confusion, the voice tormenting him alone as he crouched, forehead pushed to the cold floor. He was dimly aware of Yui calling his name in rising panic.

"What... about... the girl?" he asked through clenched teeth.

_She has disturbed the balance. The ceremony is no longer enough. You must retrieve the shinzaho before the Suzaku to summon me to this world, or all is lost! Merely wiping them from this world is no longer enough._

"Where?" He coughed violently as the voice continued to rip through him alone. "Where do I find them?"

_To the north and west. The girl, she will lead you to them. Now go, and do not fail me again, Ayuru!_  Nakago fell flat against the cool ground as the great voice left his mind, leaving him gasping for air.

"Nakago!" Yui cried, throwing herself over him. He grabbed her wrist, pushing her away from him as he struggled to stand. His blue eyes burned with a cold fire, and Yui stepped back with a small gasp.

"Nakago, what just happened?" Soi asked quietly, giving voice to the question the other warriors were too afraid to ask.

"It seems that we were ill prepared for this undertaking." he spat, furious that he was made to look such a fool in front of his subordinates. "Suboshi, take the Lady Yui to her chambers. The rest of you, prepare to journey out in the morning."

"But Lord Nakago! Amiboshi is- " Suboshi began to protest weakly.

"NOW!" There was a small murmur, but the Seiryuu all obeyed, taking their leave quickly. "Not you, Tomo." The painted man paused, turning slowly with a sly grin. "You are coming with me." Nakago turned toward the dungeons, his anger so thick he could taste it, bitter on his tongue. The time for games was over.

* * *

"Tamahome, please don't throw him in the water, you know perfectly well he'd sink like a rock." Su sighed, grabbing the terrified bandit by the shirt and hauling him back over the railing and away from his smirking tormentor. Threading her fingers through his, she tugged the boy toward the prow before he could pull himself together enough to consider seeking revenge. The last attempt had only ended with him back at start, once again hanging over the railing and screaming his terror as he had so many times over the past week.

One week.

One week on board a too-small ship with these seven idiots. One week of sleeping in a hammock in a tiny room she was sharing with Miaka for propriety's sake. One week of hauling Tasuki away from Tamahome's various threats of a watery death. One week of Nuriko flirting with and disappointing the sailors left and right. One week of wondering why they didn't just learn the first time.

_What did you do this time, stupid?_  Su scolded Tasuki softly as the bandit stuck his tongue out in Tamahome's direction, now safe in her protection.

_Fuck, lady! Nothing! I just happened to mention his mother's resemblance to a –_  An aggravated growl cut him off as she glared at him.

_Tasuki! Stop baiting him, for Suzaku's sake! You remember what happened two days ago?_ She felt him shift uncomfortably as he remembered his plunge into the icy waters when Tamahome's grip had suddenly slipped. After realizing that the damn boy truly couldn't swim, Su had jumped in after him, almost drowning alongside him as he flailed like a helpless child. He had even managed to clock her upside the head as she wound her arm around him, holding tightly to the rope Nuriko had cast to them as he pulled them back to the safety of the ship

"When's dinner?" Su heard Miaka whine quietly to Tamahome. Su rolled her eyes. She would do anything to protect these people, but after a week of being cooped up with them on a small, privacy-lacking ship, she wasn't so sure she wouldn't throttle them all herself. Sighing, she looked ahead toward the prow, thanking all the gods and lesser demons that Hokkan was finally in their sights. Her eyes fell upon Chichiri as he sat watch, his weary shoulders blocking the view of the horizon.

One week.

One week of carefully watching Chichiri, silent, masked, and growing gaunt. One week watching him sit in meditation day and night in the front of the ship. One week trying to make him listen to reason. One week of growing frustrated at his silence. One week of wanting to rip off the mask, rant and rave, scream that he should have more respect for her friend, her brave, selfless friend, than to sink into this useless funk.

_He'll snap out of it. Eventually._ She looked over at Tasuki, twisting her mouth in a smile that was more grimace than anything. Spending this much time together had pushed their weird connection onto a different level. She never realized how much wordless feeling she radiated – he could practically read her every emotion. It wasn't something she was entirely sure she liked.

_I know. But eventually might not be good enough. We need him. We need his head to be in the game._ She loosened her hold on his hand, moving away from the bandit. She knew what he felt, his horror at Mari's kidnapping, the regret and blame. But she couldn't afford to let him sit around. She had to spur the warrior into action somehow. She resented his introverted pain and selfish suffering. Why should he be allowed to carry on like this when Mari was her friend? But despite that, she couldn't help feel her heart go out to him. His tense shoulders, the deeply controlled breathing – his pain was so visible it hurt just to look at him. She knew he would hate her for it, but she couldn't help herself. She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him close. "I'm sorry 'Chiri." she whispered into his shoulder. "It's not your fault." For the briefest moment she thought she felt him sag against her, the fight going out of his body as he exhaled softly; but just as quickly he stiffened, struggling from her grip. He stumbled to his feet, silently brushing past Tasuki as he sought refuge below decks, leaving her to stand where he had been moments before. She wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to hold in her own fear and sorrow.

* * *

_Music: Titanium - David Guetta ft. Sia_

 


	28. There's Something About Mari

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari and Tomo reach an... understanding.

One week.

One week on the road with the Seiryuu warriors, and Mari felt like she would go mad with the machinations of the cunning group. After Yui and Nakago had left her shivering in the dark, she had hung from her chains for longer than she cared to estimate, skin crawling, fear bubbling in her chest at what would come next. With no marker of time, her sense cut off but for the chill of the breeze across her barely covered skin, every little bruise was a gaping wound. Every sound was Tomo finally come to force his way into her mind. Nakago here to end it all.

In the first few hours in the interminable hell, she wished he would.

It was somewhere between watching them walk away and the flare of icy cold pain that had woken her mid-way through the next day that she realized that she didn't wish for her own death. She craved theirs. The realization kicked her mind into high gear, analyzing every fact she knew about Seiryuu, about the warriors, about the circumstances of Yui's decision to so easily go along with being their priestess. She began to hatch a plan there in the dark, the renewed hope invigorating her mentally. Her brain whirred, plotting and re-plotting, calculating moves, cause and effect, and boiling it down to a solid course of action. She ran it over in her head, poking it for holes over and over until she slipped into a half-sleep, hands numb and pained above her head.

The pain woke her suddenly. Ice cold water flushing through her veins and head, numbing her extremities as a voice boomed, wrathful and cruel in its commands.

_The girl, she will lead you to them. Now go, and do not fail me again, Ayuru!_ Mari shook in her bonds as the voice subsided, swallowing back the taste of bile in her throat. It couldn't be more perfect, she thought hazily. She let herself fall weak and limp in her chains, ignoring her shoulders crying out against the pain. It mattered more that she presented the right picture to the visitors she was soon expecting. They didn't disappoint. Mere minutes later Nakago strode into her cell, crazed anger evident in his eyes. Tomo slunk in after like a cocky painted lap dog. Nakago's evil little shadow. She shoved the angry thoughts down, allowing the very real fear at his close presence to shine through as Nakago walked right up to her, hand painfully seizing her chin.

"The Dragon God says you know more than you are letting on." he spat the words out, searching her eyes with his own. "He says you will be the one to lead us to the shinzaho. That you must help us in summoning him." She glared into his mad eyes, pulling at her stores of bravery, and spat in his face.

"Never." she rasped. Behind Nakago, she could see Tomo practically vibrating with glee at the scene that unfolded before him.  _Perfect_. Nakago wiped the mess from his face, studying it on his hand. His breath came hard and fast as he struggled to control the rage that threatened to boil over and burn down his iron-held façade. He met her eyes as he struck her across the face, open palm connecting with the side of her head in a ringing blow. Her body wrenched in the chains that held her, shoulders screaming as the blow brought tears to her eyes. When his voice came again, it was low, grinding the words out over his fury.

"You  _will_  help us. You  _will_  take us to retrieve the shinzaho. And you  _WILL_  be the fall of Suzaku." He grabbed her by the neck, his grip tightening, bruising over the delicate muscles of her throat. "And after you do, I will make you watch as I burn their kingdom, as I raze their land, as I kill every one of those that you hold dear slowly and painfully before your eyes. And you will know that it is because of you that they suffer. It is because of your arrogance and foolish pride that I will wring screams from their throats until they have nothing left to give but their souls." She struggled against his hand, struggled to breathe, her eyes painful and heavy in their sockets, her lungs burning as a red haze descended on her. His breath was hard and fast in her face as he shook her by his hold on her neck, forcing her to meet his eyes as he whispered to her. "And then, and only then, will I make you pay for your 'never'. I will take more than your life, girl. I will take all that you have and more, and make you pray and beg that you could have killed them with your own hands only to make the pain stop." He threw her back, hand finally leaving its steel grip on her throat as air rushed into her lungs in huge painful gasps that made her retch and cough. When she managed to bring her eyes up to him again, his breathing had calmed, belying the insane fury in his eyes. He gazed at her a long moment before addressing the man who still stood behind him, Tomo waiting patiently like the ever disciplined painted soldier. "She will be in your charge, Tomo. Do with her as you see fit. Just keep her mind whole for me."

Whirling, Nakago strode from the rooms, leaving the girl alone with the man she feared most. They considered each other for a moment. His head tipped to the side, eyes narrowed as one long nail tracing over his bottom lip in thought. After a moment his smiled and approached her where she still hung, aching and bruised in her chains. Mari suppressed a shudder as he curled his hand behind her head, long nails tracing along the nape of her neck. It was time to move her plan another step across the board. If Tomo wanted intrigue and games, she was more than happy to oblige, whatever the cost it wrought on her body. It only mattered to move her plan into action and destroy the Seiryuu warriors from the inside out.

"I... I want your help." her voice rasped, hoarse from Nakago's abuse. She peered at him through her lashes, every inch the little lost girl she wanted him to believe her to be. Tomo cocked his head again, raising a bemused eyebrow at her. His nails tapped a staccato on the back of her neck as he waited for her to continue. "After what you... showed me. I... I couldn't believe how real it felt." She swallowed, allowing a very real flush to surface on her cheeks. He didn't have to know the color was the result of the anger and rage burning deep within her. She raised her wide eyes to meet his narrowed ones, hoping she looked innocent enough, naïve enough, for him to believe the words that tumbled from her lips. "I... want to know how you did it. Since I came here, I've found myself with such strange powers. I'm only learning how to control them and... and you seem so powerful, so capable. Please? Please train me? I'll do anything." She gulped back her fear at the last statement, dropping her eyes as her stomach clenched in terror.

"And what of Lord Nakago's demands? What of the Suzaku?" his cold voice inquired, breath stirring her hair and lapping at her face. She shuddered in disgust, praying he thought it in reaction to his question, fear brought on by the punishment dealt to her.

"I will do what he commands. I only care for the life of my friend." she lied, twisting her mouth into a fierce scowl. "The warriors, they weren't the kindest of hosts." Tomo's lips curled, seemingly satisfied at this turn of events. He trailed his nails from the back of her neck down under her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes again. She could tell he was seeking out evidence of her claims in her mind, his power a cold, slimy hand pawing at her memories. She eagerly brought them forward, rushing to cover her very real loathing and frustration in a protective sphere within her mind, turning her strange powers inward and trying not to tremble from the effort. One by one, she pulled the memories she wanted him to see forward.  _Her powers lashing out at Su and the Suzaku. Hotohori, sword in hand as he glared at her across her cell. Tasuki's fire as it roared as it roared all around her. Chichiri face, staring back at her in horror as he discovered who and what she was._  Tomo lingered over this last one, interested.

"And I thought you had feelings for the damaged monk." he mused, lips pursing.

"I did... I do." she forced herself to answer honestly, weaving the truth into the tapestry of lies she presented to Tomo. "What I feel doesn't matter. He showed his true side. He's just like the rest of them." She dropped her eyes, apologizing to Chichiri over and over in her mind. "Revenge is closer to my heart now." Tomo considered her once again, seeming to collect his thoughts, weighing the visions he had seen moments earlier.

"After all you've done to thwart us, why now? What are you playing at, little girl?"

"They've left me here to die. I'm not ready to do that, yet." The fierceness of that last truth was enough, Tomo feeling her conviction as he withdrew from her head. "Teach me, please! Show me how I can destroy them from the inside out! If you teach me how to control my magic, I... " she braced herself for her next words, locking her emotions, her revulsion at the declaration, away within the depths of her mind. "I will be yours. Your slave. Anything you want." Tomo let go of her, pacing away across the room. Mari schooled her face into an eager, angry mask, reaching for memories fueled by rage should he need more proof. As he spun back to face her, his lips pulled into an elegant sneer, and she knew she had him.

"Then, my dear, you shall have your revenge." A quick gesture of his longer fingers released her bonds, and she fell to the floor, arms screaming as the blood rushed back into them. Her shoulders cracked and creaked with long disuse. Gathering herself to her knees, Mari bowed at his feet, touching her forehead to his boots in subservience even as her actions made her sick inside.

"Many thanks, Lord Tomo." She lifted her head once more to stare adoringly into his painted face. "I shall not disappoint." He laughed, peals of scratchy high-pitched evil.

"Oh, I should hope not, my girl. I should hope not."

* * *

_Music: Seven Devils - Florence + the Machine_


	29. Scary Seishi (and Super Mikos)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari learns a trick or two. Tasuki sees something he shouldn't.

Tomo hadn't wasted any time in turning her into his plaything.

Mari had been cleaned, dressed, and brought to his quarters within the hour. It had taken spare minutes before she felt in need of another bath. By the time the sun rose the following day Mari already regretted the agreement. Preparing to join the warrior on the road, her aching body trembled as she slipped into the clothes that had been provided to her, hissing as the soft cloth brushed over torn skin. She fought the shame that boiled up. Fought the unbidden memories of Chichiri's kind hands and warm lips as she pushed the cruel images from the night before. She would put this behind her soon enough. She and Su would be going home.

And then a week passed. A week of exhausting travel to Hokkan, the weather growing more cold and inhospitable the closer they marched toward the northern border. A week of nights spent with her cruel master, enduring the clever torments he devised for her body and mind, never given a moment of rest under his watch. It was difficult for her to allow him to take what he wanted from her, despite the knowledge he offered. She always resisted at first, her body tensing as she waited for his anger, the pain, as she was forced to submit. The initial agony faded to a dull throb as he whispered against her skin and in her mind in the dark of night, a nightmare vision of a lover. Cradling her consciousness as he pushed deep into her, pulling Mari behind him. Coiling into her as he made a playground of her mind. Her memories became their wretched classroom, Tomo exploiting everything he found there, and twisting it into a 'lesson'. She woke every morning aching, used and filthy as he pressed his body into hers, curling around her possessively like she was a doll.

Behind the steel walls she pushed up in her mind, the iron around her heart, she could feel the power growing each day. The slow understanding of Tomo's evil gifts began to empower her, twining around her as she quietly learned his tricks, pulling apart the vines and creepers of his mental seduction.

It wasn't until the third night that she dared test herself. Tomo had spent himself against her, nails clutching painfully at her even as he slipped into sleep. Slowly, Mari reached into his mind, searching for something, anything she dared to try to turn with her power. Imagining the blue light of Seiryuu, she wrapped her mind in a protective blue haze, pushing into him, past his hazy dreams of snow and skin. Sneaking into his desires. Tomo stirred, rolling from her to his back, his lips curling as she touched something in his mind.

"Nakago..." Tomo moaned softly. She stilled, holding and focusing on the memory she touched, trying to see what he saw. To feel what he felt. With a determined breath she closed her eyes, resting her forehead against his and letting the vision blossom into her mind's eye.

_Paint absent from his face, Tomo, dressed in a fine robe of silk and loose hair tumbling down his back, padded quietly into the room, carefully closing the door as he approached the sleeping general. The robe slipped from his shoulders as he crawled up the bed, coming to rest beside Nakago's prone body. Wrapping around the larger man, Tomo skirted a long painted fingernail over Nakago's bare chest, his face gazing into the general's seductively._

_Nakago stirred, a satisfied exhalation of breath escaping his lips as he took the man by the hips, pulling him onto his lap, grinding up against the smaller man's body. Tomo preened, arching his back coquettishly as he let his hair fall over his shoulder onto Nakago, body responding to the general's touch. As a small sound escaped his lips and Nakago stilled, eyes slipping open to gaze up at him._

_"Tomo." he stated coolly, eyes narrowing as the mistaken identity became apparent._

_"Yes, my Lord." Tomo drawled coyly, caressing Nakago's chest, leaning forward to rest his lips against the man's collar bone, delivering his message to the skin there. "The Lady Soi is unavailable, my Lord. But I can perform the same task as adequately, if not more so, than she." Lifting his head, he stretched up, reaching for Nakago's lips with his own._

_The hand that seized his throat was unexpected, cruel fingers clutching the delicate column as Nakago glared into the warrior's face before throwing him from the bed. The man tumbled from the bed with a cry, falling helpless and naked to the floor as Nakago rose to loom over him._

_"Tomo, the next time you dare touch me, I assure you your status as a warrior of Seiryuu will not protect you. Now leave my chambers."_

Mari pulled back, rushing out of his mind as she felt the man stir under her with a small whimper. Falling to his side, she feigned sleep as he started awake beside her. She stirred softly beside him. "My Lord, is everything alright?" Mari made a show of rubbing her eyes, forcing a yawn as she sat up next to him, watching as he stroked his forehead thoughtfully.

"Just a nightmare, pet." He reached for her, pulling her into his arms and running his cheek against the side of her face as he inhaled deeply into her hair to calm his nerves. "Help lull me back to sleep, won't you?"

* * *

The following night she dared to try again, waiting until he was lost in his dreams once more before she found her way back to the memory. Watching it play out, she waited for the moment to reach in and twist it, just so...

_"I can perform the same task as adequately, if not more so, than she." Lifting his head, he stretched up, reaching for Nakago's lips with his own._

There! Mari reached in, twisting the fabric of the memory with a delicate touch. Weaving in her own thread and blending the seams until they were indistinguishable.

_Nakago surged forward, hands capturing Tomo face, fingers threading themselves in the silken strands of his hair. Drawing the petite man close he brushed their lips softly together, tongue slipping between their lips._

_"Tomo..." Nakago breathed. His name on the general's lips sent a shiver up Tomo's spine, and he could feel Nakago's body stir under him. Tomo purred in pleasure as he turned hooded eyes to his fellow warrior._

_"Please," he drawled slyly, "allow me, my Lord."_

Just a gentle push. It was all it took. Tomo rolled away from her, lost in this fantasy as he called softly for Nakago in the darkness of their tent.

* * *

Each night she pushed a bit more, the fantasies growing more elaborate and extended, a complex dream life wrapping itself through Tomo's subconscious. Each day, Tomo grew more preoccupied with Nakago and less interested in her. In the darkness of their tent that seventh night, blessedly untouched, she heard him growl in frustration as the grunts and moans of Nakago and his bed partner made their way to his ears. She reached for the warrior, her hand falling softly to his cheek.

"Lord Tomo?"

"Go to sleep, girl!" he hissed, slapping her hand away as he turned his back to her. She braced herself, disgust and shame long past as she turned her mind to her survival; it was all that mattered anymore.

"Lord Tomo, you desire the general, don't you?" she asked softly, pressing her body to his back, trying not to smirk as she felt him pull away. He rounded on her, curling his fingers around her throat and pushing her back into the blankets.

"Silence." Tomo spat at her. She met his eyes, not having any difficulty looking wide-eyed and scared as he towered over her.

"My Lord. I can ease your pain for you." She choked past the hand clenching her throat, looking into his eyes and letting him feel her reach out to his mind. "Let me use the skills you've given me." She begged, feeling his grip loosen as he contemplated her offer. He gazed at her then, the dim light of the camp touching his bare face. The pathetic hope that lay there tugged at her, and she found herself almost pitying him in that moment.

Almost.

"Very well." He chewed on his lip nervously, closing his eyes as he let her into his mind guardedly, sighing at the feeling. A hand brushed his face, startling him to look down at the body beneath him. Gently stroking a hand over his features, Nakago lay below him, smiling up with cold, blue eyes.

"Come, Tomo." he whispered, pulling the man down on top of him, limbs twining into the night.

* * *

"I thought we'd never get off of that damned ship!" Tasuki roared as he stretched, the first down the gangplank and onto the frozen ground of Hokkan, snow crunching under his boots. Following at a more sedate pace, Su pulled the warm coat closer around her shoulders as a light flurry fell softly about them.

"You and me both!" she sighed as she made it to the shore, turning to watch as the group clambered off the boat almost as eagerly as she and Tasuki had. Chichiri hung back, pale and silent as a spectre as he paused at the top of the gangplank, contemplating the panorama of the harbor. She opened her mouth, his hesitation urging her to call out in reassurance, but Miaka bustled by, startling Su as she gushed excitement about a hot meal. Tamahome gave Su an apologetic smile as he followed close behind, shrugging helplessly. As they disappeared into the inn, her eyes drifted back to the monk, only to find him slowly heading up the dock, eyes on his feet. She sighed, turning to take in the misty mountain top that loomed over the little village.

Massive and dusted in snow, its summit was shrouded in clouds, hiding their destination from sight. Even with the ancient temple hidden, Su couldn't stop the images that flooded her mind.  _Nuriko, broken and dying in the red snow_. She shivered deeply, trying to banish the thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Nuriko stepped up behind Su, laden with a double armful of supplies. Su looked at the beautiful man, searching for the right words and coming up empty. What could she say to protect him? What could she say that wouldn't disrupt fate?

"I don't like this place." It was the only explanation she could find.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Su." Nuriko smiled, tossing his hair confidently. "It's going to take a lot more than a mountain to stop us. Now hurry up and get inside, its freezing!" He gave the girl a cheeky wink before hoisting his cargo once more, hurrying out of the snow. She watched him go with a rueful smile, mind fighting the onslaught of images once more.

_Him?!_  A small choking noise sounded behind her, her eyes widening as she whipped around to face Tasuki. The bandit stared at her, eyes burning with confused fury.

"Tasuki, let me explain!"

"I saw, Su. You know that he... and you still let him come?!" He cradled his head in his hands, fingers clutching at his hair as he struggled to deal with the visions he had seen in her mind. As she approached, reaching for him, he pulled away from her. "You knew, and you still let him come?" She cringed under the weight of his words, eyes flickering to the passerby that eyed them warily.

"I had to, Tasuki." she pleaded softly, moving toward him again and gripping his coat tightly when he didn't pull away. "Do you think I wanted to?" Tears fell down her cheeks as she tried to make him look at her, tried to give him everything she knew. Desperate, she pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him as she closed her eyes in concentration, pushing all her memories of Nuriko's story into his mind before he could slam the walls down. He leaned heavily against her as the visions played in his mind, Su's sadness a strong undercurrent.

"Nuriko." Tasuki choked on the name as the memories came to an end, tears falling from his eyes as he buried his face into the soft fur on her coat, hands clutching her close.  _How do you bear it?_  His thoughts hurt in her own mind, and her hands rubbed at his back as she tried to soothe the boy's fears the only way she knew how.

_By praying I can change it._

* * *

_Music: The Diary of Jane - Breaking Benjamin_


	30. The Mists of Hokkan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm.

Dawn broke, icy and still over the northern border between Hokkan and Kutou, the Seiryuu reluctantly stirring from their sleep to break camp. "Where is Tomo?" Nakago glared at Suboshi, noticing the painted man's absence and beginning to regret placing Mari in his charge. She had proven more distracting than he anticipated. Suboshi's lip curled in distaste as Nakago inquired after his comrade.

"Still in his tent, I think?" Suboshi snapped back. "With that filthy creature you let him keep."

"Fetch him. We do not have the luxury of idle mornings." Suboshi rose obediently, muttering under his breath as he moved out of earshot. Whisper soft murmurs rose to his ears as he approached the tent, and he hissed in disgust as he felt his cheeks stain red. Apparently, Tomo was not satisfied with only keeping them up at night.

"Tomo! Break camp! Nakago's orders!" He called loudly outside the tent, waiting for the moans to stop and frowning when they continued. "Look, you sick pervert–" He tore the flap aside and peered into the tent, hackles rising at the sight that met his eyes. Tomo lay on his back, writhing in his bedroll as he stared, unseeing, at the canvas overhead. His body shivered with a cold sweat as he lay trapped in a waking nightmare, nails raking down his body and slowly tearing the flesh to bloody ribbons. A slow trail of saliva leaked from the corner of his mouth as he turned his unseeing eyes toward Suboshi. By his head, the remains of his little shell, shin, lay crushed, broken pieces ground into the dirt.

Mari was nowhere to be seen.

"Lord Nakago!" Suboshi bellowed, letting the flap fall away and running back into camp.

* * *

Mari rode as fast as the horse would carry her, icy air whipping her hair around her face as it stung the reddened skin. She ignored the cold as she pressed on at breakneck speed. She rode for the mountain on the horizon, watching it blush gold as the early morning sunlight lit its summit.

_They'll be there. They have to be there!_

She had another hour, two at best, before they would discover Tomo and give chase. Her lips curled back cruelly as she replayed her revenge in her mind. How she had slipped into his mind once he had allowed her access, clutching to his inflated desire for Nakago and crudely stitching it to the memory of every horror he had imparted on her since he took possession of her those weeks ago. Melding them together into a never-ending vision of pain and abuse. She had brought her heel down upon his focus then, destroying the little shell, and leaving him with no link back to his right mind. Lost alone in the nightmare she had created for him.

She was only sorry she couldn't be there to see Nakago's face as when he discovered what she had done. There was no way he would let her live through this insult. He would be screaming for her blood now. She replayed his threats in her mind each time her body threatened to quit on her. Every time she felt too tired to go on. She thought of Su and the Suzaku, trying desperately to save themselves, and she swore that she would make it to Touran before the Seiryuu, even if she had to crawl the last miles face down in the snow.

She would find Su, and the Seiryuu would pay.

* * *

Dinner for the Suzaku warriors had been a somber affair. Chichiri had shut himself in his room, and Tasuki was uncharacteristically silent. Even the normally brash Tamahome was lost in his own thoughts, affected by the strange gravity their arrival had brought with it. No one was eating much, still getting used to the dead weight of the land under them. The sudden stillness beneath them was now as sickening as the roll and sway of the waves had once been. They just sat at the table quietly, picking at their food and casting nervous glances at Su. Unable to bear it any more, she cleared her throat, pushing herself back from the sable to stand, her eyes falling on the party as they all looked up at her.

"Back in Konan, I made a promise to Taiitsukun. I swore to her that I wouldn't tell you what the future held. I wouldn't risk destroying this world just to rescue the people I've come to care about." Her eyes searched her rapt audience, and the hope and trust she saw there reflected back at her broke her heart. She suddenly felt awkward, the duckling amidst a band of swans."There is so much I simply can't tell you. Individual stories that I came to know back in my world. But I can tell you that we are approaching something important. A turning point for this quest Suzaku has put us on. I know we all would lay down our lives for Miaka. I know you all would do anything for Konan. But I'm begging you, now is not a time for heroics! We have to move forward together, and only together."

She took a breath as she paused. Could she say it? Would it be too much? She feared the repercussions of such an innocent statement. Coming from her mouth it was tantamount to a declaration from Hotohori himself, if they valued their lives. Nothing she spoke could be construed as casual any more; every word was analyzed. Mulled over and spit back with questions and worry. What would their reaction to this be? What was she changing by speaking these words? A warm, strong hand slipped into hers, startling her from her reverie. She looked down into Tasuki's amber eyes, feeling the silent encouragement from him to continue. She tightened her grip, suddenly wondering if it would be his life she would be trading for Nuriko's if the universe chose to take another to create a balance? She closed her eyes against the thought, swallowing convulsively. _Beneficial, or the end of the world?_ If Taiitsukun couldn't tell her, she couldn't figure it out for herself. She could only do what she thought best.

"Tomorrow is going to be the first of many, many difficult days. Tomorrow we... we may see blood spilled at the shrine of Genbu. It won't be the first time for some of us. It won't be the last time for any of us." She sighed. "I'm begging you! To keep the priestess safe, to help Miaka, please, _please,_ don't go after it on your own! We have to work and move as a team from now on. It's for the best." Su settled back into her seat as the low murmurs started, the warriors whispering to each other, guesses at their future flying alongside subtle glances in her direction. She swallowed, putting down her fork to bury her face in Tasuki's shoulder, begging him to take her upstairs, away from the talk and the burning curiosity she couldn't help the party sate.

Tasuki followed Su quietly as she left the table. He'd meant to leave her at the door. Gone to do it, in fact, leading her up to her room and placing a light, chaste kiss upon her forehead before turning away from her. But she couldn't stand the thought of being alone on a night like this. Her hand found the fabric of his coat, fingers clutching to the soft furs as she pulled the not-so-reluctant bandit behind her, sliding the door shut on the world as they found what little comfort was available to them in each others company.

* * *

In the darkness, Su feigned sleep as Tasuki lay under the warm blankets beside her, fingers playing with the necklace at her throat as she curled into his warm arms. She listened to his calm breathing echo through his chest, thinking that she could practically hear the whirring of the bandit's brain as he ran through the memories she had shared with him earlier. The boy had never balked at a fight before. Death was as much a part of bandit life as anyone else, if not more so. But the death of a friend? The death of Nuriko...

She wouldn't let him out of her sight from here on out, for all the good it would do. His life was a long one, as Mari had informed him in the dungeons of the Konan palace on a day that felt like eons ago. But in their interference, in Mari's predictions, in her own vague words, could they have altered that? Would it be Tasuki she would watch be run through by Ashitare's claws in the morning?

_I know yer not asleep._ She cracked open an eye to look at him.

_Foiled again._ His lips twitched into a sad semblance of a smile at her colorless comment.

_Ya don't crinkle yer brow like that when yer really sleepin'._ She nodded, trying in vain to smooth out the offending expression. Bandit and girl pondered each other in a sad silence, disturbing it as they both chose to speak at once.

"Promise me -"

"Don't ever -"

They stopped, staring at each other for a moment before Su let Tasuki speak. "Don't leave my side tomorrow. I know we're travelin' as a group but..." he shifted nervously, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling. "I need you ta be near me. In case somethin' happens an' I need to protect you. I can't... I can't even imagine what Chichiri is going through." Her heart hurt at the sorrowful look on the boy's face. For all his brash talk he was only seventeen, thrown into being a leader in two lives, too early. Knowing that danger was coming, and being powerless to stop it.

"Don't worry, Tas." She brushed strands of his red hair from his face. _I'll be there._ He wrapped around her, pulling her to him as she allowed one more very private thought to herself. _So I can do all in my power to keep that monster from hurting even one of you._ The two returned to the pleasant distractions they had found in each other, allowing themselves one last night of safety in a world about to go mad.

It wasn't until the morning that anyone found that Chichiri had crept away in the night.

* * *

Mari slumped on the back of her horse, the tired creature taking the crest of yet another snow-covered peak as the sun rose into the pale, early morning sky. The girl squinted her bleary eyes against the blindness offered by the snow, forcing herself to seek out any hint of the shrine that would contain the shinzaho of Genbu. She had to move swiftly, they would be on her trail now. She knew that much, but not how close they could be or how fast they would be moving to catch her. Her determination pushed her ever onward, but the bodily exhaustion of both she and the animal that carried her were growing by the minute. Even now, the horse's flanks quivered beneath her as they descended into the small valley between peaks.

She would never know how she had spotted it through her exhaustion, white on white blending in the bright light, little to see of shadow or dimension, but all the same, she noticed them. Dismounting clumsily, she stumbled to her knees in the snow. A tentative hand reached out, eyes widening in shock at the footsteps she found there, her heart pounding as she noted it was only one pair.

_Nuriko._ Her heart soared at the realization. _Because I was with the Seiryuu, keeping them together and on the trail, Su was able to send Nuriko to get the shinzaho! They must be near._ Rising slowly to her feet, she grabbed the horse's reins, leading it on as she followed the footsteps along the gully, steeling her tired limbs to mount one last hillside. She forced herself to the top through sheer force of will alone, her mettle tempered in her short time with the Seiryuu warriors. As she passed the crest of the hill, her eyes caught sight of the man knee-deep in the snow. She felt all hope leave her body in one swift rush as she collapsed into a snowbank.

* * *

_Music: Après Moi - Regina Spektor_


	31. The Monk and the Maiden Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion, and lots of ugly crying.

He had left the inn just before dawn, trudging into the hills with a determination that had been born from Mari's kidnapping, and had only strengthened and grown in the days aboard the ship while he watched and waited. One saw so much when they just stayed quiet and still. Watching the lines growing on Su's face. The heavy looks that traced over certain members of their group, her eyes gone far away as her vision twisted inward. A difference in her gaze when she looked at Tasuki. A difference in her gaze when she looked at him. Watching her as they grew closer to this snowy land, he had learned much in the movements of that expressive face. The comfortable eye roll she directed to Tamahome and Miaka's sugary canoodling. The look of deferential respect to the sailors. The bemused affection reserved for the bandit. The quiet hurt and fear directed toward Mitsukake and Nuriko, as if she was mourning for ghosts that still walked among them.

The mask of frustrated sympathy that Su wore when she spoke with him showed no evidence of fear, hurt, or preemptive sorrow. It spoke to a truth Chichiri had never considered, an end that he couldn't allow to be true. Her look told him that it wasn't his lot to die here or now. That the quest to summon the beast god left him a survivor, whole and unharmed by the warlords of Seiryuu. It said she couldn't see his end, couldn't predict it. That it would come to him years from now, an old friend to an old man tucked cozily into a bed in some far off monastery. Not an acceptable death for a warrior of Suzaku. Not an acceptable death for him. It was a coward's death, and for all the cowardice and weakness he had shown in his life, and he would be damned if he would watch his friends fall around him. He wouldn't be the lone recreant left standing when the smoke cleared. He would die if it meant it gave them another day to bring peace to his country. If it meant Mari could live to return to her world.

And so Chichiri rose before the light, loading a pack and quietly slipping into warmer clothes. He began his trek up the mountain while it was still dark, trudging along in the frigid wind, hard pellets of snow whipping his face as he moved toward a place only vaguely indicated in the scrolls and legends. It took five hours of tramping a circuitous path up the side of the mountain before he found the place. Five hours of unsure investigations and curious side tracks before he found himself here, pondering the entrance to the cave. So invested in such considerations that he didn't hear the gentle jingle of the horse's reins or the quiet steps of the woman as she came up behind him. It was the sound of her sudden collapse that finally surprised him, the sudden impact of her knees in the snow alerting him to her presence. Chichiri spun, startled at the sudden noises so close behind, his eyes meeting hers only as her lips formed the word. "No."

His breath left his body, frosting the air before him. He could barely recognize the woman who had haunted his dreams these long weeks. His mind threw aside the memory of her, choosing instead to focus on the small, painful details. The bruises, the scrapes, the deep shadows under her eyes. He barely dared to speak her name across the silent void between them for fear that she was a mirage that would disappear in a soft puff of wind and snow at his voice. "Mari." It was a sigh, a question, a benediction, a disbelieving whisper. It was weighted with every emotion that had raged through him since Suboshi took her. Every tortured accusation that had plagued his brain.

"Please. Please, just kill me." her voice rasped painfully from her dry throat. "Just get it over with. I can't do this anymore. I can't... I can't be your slave, anymore, Tomo." This last name she spit out, face twisting with emotion. Even as his mind struggled to comprehend her words, Chichiri's heart shattered against her tone and the dearth of hope in her features. She looked defeated, exhausted, a far cry from the girl so full of life and determination he had held in his arms in the dungeons of Konan.

"Mari..." He started toward her, mind racing to find the meaning in her words. His arms raised from his sides of their own accord, needing to touch her, hold her, feel her in his arms and know she was real. That she was alive.

"No!" Mari shrieked, falling back into the snow bank as he drew close. "Please! I can't have you use him against me anymore!" She squeezed her eyes shut against the torrent of tears that streamed down her cheeks. "I can't let you put your hands on me and feel his. No more, Tomo." She stared at him through glassy eyes, broken and helpless where she sat in the snow. "Just kill me. Please. I can't do this anymore." His face contorted beneath his mask as her words began to take seed in his thoughts, blooming into unbidden, unpleasant images he pushed to the side. Now was not the time for imagined insults to his pride. He looked helplessly at her as she sobbed, staring at him, a creature waiting for the predator to make his next move. " _End this!_ " Chichiri heard her voice cry both outside and in, shrill in his ears and a sharp pulse in his head. Her mind dove into his like a pebble striking the still surface of a pond, and they plunged together into the deep waters of his memories. Images raced past as she pushed ever deeper.

_Hikou and Kouran locked in their clandestine, innocent kiss._ _Hikou over the cliff, pleading for his life._ _Mari's warmth as the two of them lie wrapped carefully in each others arms in the dungeons of the Konan palace._ _Mari's face swimming before his vision as his fingers just brushed against hers, again and again, as pain and disgust and self-recrimination washed over him._

As quickly as she'd invaded his thoughts, she was gone from his head. Chichiri stared in shock at the girl before him as she panted, mirroring his surprised expression at what she had found buried in the depths of his mind. Secrets only he would know. Secrets they shared. Now it was her turn to take in the man before her, her eyes darting over the mask, the sallow color of what little skin was exposed in the cold, the loose hang of his clothes on his frame. Slowly, she registered the small changes. The nuances Tomo wouldn't, couldn't, know. With a strangled cry she rose from the snow, tripping toward him and falling into his open, waiting arms as she clung to him tightly. Mari sobbed into his neck, hands clutching his robes where her arms wrapped around him under his heavy jacket. He held her close, burying his face in her hair as tears slipped silently down his own cheeks, his mind turning her name into a prayer. But even as he held her, thanking Suzaku for her life, for her forgiveness, he could not forget the name she had screamed when she had believed him someone else. He could taste it, metallic and sharp as he repeated it in his mind.

_Tomo._

"I'm sorry," Mari was weeping, hot against his skin, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Her words pulled him out of his reverie, and he gently pushed her away, pulling off his gloves to thumb the tears away from her cheeks. His fingers trailed over her skin, brushing her hair back to take in her weary face. As he inspected her, identifying every last injury he would happily pay back, he felt her frozen fingers slip beneath his mask, gently prying away the false smile to discard it into the snow as she pressed her cheek to his own scarred one. The feel of her skin drew his eye shut. The fissure that had bisected his soul began to stitch together at the edges, the raw throbbing pain in his chest lessening at her touch. Even in his moment of absolution, he forced himself to speak the next words, forced the truth out in a whisper close to her ear. His secret shame and pain, only for her.

"Please don't apologize to me. I don't deserve your forgiveness, Mari. I should never have let you go. I should never have been so weak. Suboshi should never gotten near you!" Chichiri pushed his face into the slope between her neck and shoulder. "I will make him pay." Chichiri ground the word between his teeth. "They will all pay." The harsh words were disturbing from the mouth of the normally calm monk; the way his hands clenched at her upper arms as he held her close alarming. A vision of a younger man, filled with rage, jealousy, and possessive pride filtered through Mari's head as she stroked his back, trying hard to fight though the frustration and exhaustion that wore at her.

"Shhh... It'll be okay. I'll be okay now." She lifted his face to hers, gently kissing his lips to pull his focus to her. "We have more important things to worry about. This cave is –"

Chichiri cut her short. "The shinzaho," he stated shortly, "I came ahead to stop anything needless from happening."

"You're alone?" she choked. "Su let you come alone?!" Her voice rose in panic as she looked at him. Chichiri looked away from her, ashamed.

"No. I slipped away this morning."

"We don't have time!" She pulled away from him, trudging awkwardly past to the great chained boulder barring their path. "We have to get the shinzaho! Now!" She pulled at the chains with weak fingers, the frozen iron protesting loudly as it scraped against the rock, screeching into the wind.

"Mari, the Suzaku will come for us." He tried to soothe her, but she fought him, clawing at the boulder.

"Not before the Seiryuu." The blue glow of Mari's power grew around her hands as she struggled to push the stone with her magic. The great boulder shifted infinitesimally, rocking on its base ever so slightly before the light crackled out of existence and she stumbled back into Chichiri's arms, face ashen as she shook with fear and fever. "Houjun," her voice was small, "I need your help."

"Anything." he whispered into her hair. Mari stilled in his arms, wondering if she had the right to ask so much when she knew he would give her whatever she asked for.

"I need... I need your power. To move the stone. I'm too weak right now, I don't have enough energy left to move it, but if I just had yours I know I could." She babbled on, panic building as she thought of the time that was wasting by. "It wouldn't be all of it. It would come back. But I need your help, otherwise..."

"Of course." He helped her stand again, one arm wrapped around her trembling shoulders. She curled her fingers in his, turning to look into his eyes.

"I'm sorry." She dove into his mind, skirting the painful memories that still hovered too close to the surface, finding the glow of his power, his magic, and wrapping it around herself. Sinking into it's light as she pulled to the surface. Chichiri moaned beside her, eyes squeezing shut in pain and the feeling of wrongness it brought.

_Carefully..._  Mari thought, focusing on surrounding the rock in the light of their combined magic. She hefted the huge obstruction in a burst of magic, snapping the chains and letting it tumble down the mountain. Gently, she let his magic go, felt it flow from her own body in a wave of painful emptiness as she gasped for air. Beside her, Chichiri sighed with relief as his magic returned, his fingers closing tighter around her own.

Looking forward, their eyes caught on a pair of great iron doors creaking heavily open, icy air and a crystalline mist oozing forward and lacing around their ankles in hazy tendrils. Mari felt Chichiri at her back, supporting her, and gave him a brave look before entering the cavern. The morning light barely broke the darkness within, and both suppressed a shudder as the light that did manage to enter landed dimly upon a sea of bones. Faces long devoid of flesh grinned up at them in morbid silence with empty eye sockets, shimmering under a thin layer of frost.

"This is a tomb." Chichiri whispered. He had not been expecting to find death in this holy place. Carefully, he supported Mari as they advanced with a dull, morbid clicking and crunch of ice. The sound echoed against the walls, amplifying to cover the creak of the gates as they swung closed of their own accord behind the couple, slamming shut with an echoing finality. Stealing all light away from them to leave their ears ringing in the darkness.

* * *

_Music: White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes_


	32. Hokkan's Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari gets some heavenly bling.

Mari felt her head swim as she fell to her knees, shivering in the cold. Chichiri turned from her side, running back toward the doors and pulling heavily against them, trying in vain to force them open again. "That won't work." Mari called weakly to him.

"I will not let us die in here!" Chichiri cried, irrational fear rising in his voice as he rained his fists down upon the frozen iron. Mari stumbled to him in the dark, skidding and tripping over the bones underfoot until she found him, reaching for his hands and calming him with a gentle hush of breath.

"Chichiri, stop." She let her head fall against his chest, resting her forehead against his warm coat and trying to focus past the pounding in her temples. "We have to move on. There are still trials ahead." Mari felt him still, raising his arms around her and holding her tight to him. His chest rose and fell again in a raw, shuddering gasp. "We can fall apart when this is all over, ok?" she offered weakly.

They moved away from the door, clinging to each other to keep their footing. Slowly they followed the echoes deeper into the darkness, step by step, groping their way through the cavern until their eyes began to adjust to the gloom. Buried under the ice, a dim green light came into focus, seeming to emanate from everywhere and yet nowhere. Great panels of ice-covered carvings began to become visible on the walls. They depicting scenes of ancient warriors, the figures seemingly brought to life in the play of light and shadow. Mari staggered to a wall, tracing one of the carvings with icy fingertips.

"What are they?" Chichiri asked, voice a hushed whisper.

"I think they're the Genbu Seven." she whispered back, pulling her cold fingers from the wall and tightening her coat around her shoulders. "I only know a small bit about them. They're the protectors of Hokkan."

"The Genbu Seven?" Chichiri repeated her words, wonder touching his voice. "Didn't they all die centuries ago?" He looked at her, watching at she traced her fingers over another ice-covered sculpture of a young man, his eye covered by a dark patch. Something about that statue unsettled him."Mari, I-" The ice exploded without any warning, throwing Mari back to the ground, a rain of razor-sharp ice falling on her like broken glass. "Mari!" Chichiri cried, running to her side. She coughed weakly as he gathered her into his arms. He looked up, watching as a man stepped out of, no,  _through_  the ice, tossing his long hair over his shoulder and glaring down at the two.

"Who are you that dares to violate the holy Shrine of Genbu?" Another explosion of ice rained down over the two as Chichiri crouched over Mari, trying desperately to protect her. Another dark-haired spirit joined the first, emerging silent and ethereal from the ice as he trained a ghostly arrow on the pair.

"We cannot allow you to violate this holy place and live." he warned coldly.

"Please!" Mari fell from Chichiri's arms, bowing her head low to the ground. "Hikitsu and Tomite, of the mighty Genbu Warriors! Please, we come seeking your aid!" she begged of them, leaving Chichiri to observe helplessly, watching in confusion and Mari spread herself humbly on the ground at their feet. He had heard those names before, buried deep in the legend of the Priestess of Genbu. Both warriors had left this world long ago.

"How do you know us, girl?" The boy stepped forward, his arrow still focused on Mari as she lay prostrate at his feet, face hidden from sight.

"I come from another time. Another world. Like your priestess, Takiko." Mari pleaded into the ice, praying the two would listen to her.

"Takiko!" the boy gasped, retreating a step to his companion's side. The two spirits regarded each other for a long moment, finally reaching a silent consensus. The taller spirit stepped forward, stilling as he approached her, his one uncovered eye fixed on her. The other kept his arrow trained on Chichiri, eyes still cold behind the ghostly bow.

"I am Hikitsu, of the Genbu Seven. This man is Tomite. Who are you to have sought us out here? Speak true, or find yourself lost forever in snow and ice." he warned, slow and even.

"I am Chichiri, of the Suzaku Seven," the monk cautiously bowed, unsure of what else to do, "and this woman is the Lady Mari. Friend to the Suzaku Seven and their priestess, the Lady Miaka"

"Suzaku?" Hikitsu's eye widened. "And who exactly is she to you if not your priestess? Why send this woman in her place?" Hikitsu inquired, his one eye holding fast as his gaze shifted to back to Mari. She stood, staring the spirit of the once mighty warrior down, not quite sure how to proceed, but too frightened not to try.

"I am a foreigner, lost in this world. Seiryuu would lay claim to me, but I wish to aid the Suzaku in their summoning of their beast god and save this world." she spoke proudly, her voice unwavering.

"Seiryuu!" Tomite gasped. "Kutou is our enemy!" He trained his arrow back on her, fear and anger in his eyes. "We will never surrender the shinzaho to an ally of Kutou!"

"No!" Mari pleaded. "I am not their ally! I have given up everything I am to stop the Seiryuu!"

"Have you now?" Hikitsu drawled, holding up his hand and stilling Tomite. "Then perhaps you are willing to prove your worthiness?" A cold grin crossed his face. She looked at him for a long moment, her gaze coming to rest on the dark patch covering his eye as her finger lifted to point at it.

"All you need to do it look, Hikitsu. You are able to see my memories. Look and see that I speak true." The spirit gaped at her, dumbstruck.

"How did you know?" he whispered, hand raising to the fabric that covered his eye to protect the world from his power. Tomite placed a pale hand on his companion's shoulder, exhaling softly in shock.

"Hikitsu..." His eyes softened as he looked at his friend.

"Look and see." Mari offered. Hikitsu nodded, gaze unwavering as he lifted the patch with a shaking fingers, revealing the character he hid from the world and looking deep into her eyes. Hikitsu's mind buckled under the weight of Mari's fear. Fear of pain and humiliation at the hands of cruel men. He could feel her tremble as the memories burned through her, ripping an anguished cry from her throat as she relived them all in an instant. He felt her try to hold strong, allowing him to see, to feel, how afraid she was of the party of ruthless hunters coming up fast on her heels. How afraid she was of Seiryuu and all the beast god entailed.

Rivers of silent tears fell down her face as he stared into her, reaching to find a reason why this girl should be granted with the shinzaho that was so precious to his beloved priestess Takiko. He found it there, deep in her mind where she had locked it away for safekeeping. There, buried so carefully, lay her burning desire to save the warriors of Suzaku. To save the monk who she had grown to care for. To save her friend. To deliver them from cruel deaths at the hands of those she feared most. Hikitsu fell to his knees at Mari's feet, ethereal body shuddering from the force of what he had witnessed. Looking up at the girl, he watched as her face fell to her hands as tears wracked her body.

"Mari!" Chichiri cried out, reaching for her and finding himself trapped in a glassy wall of ice. He pounded against his frozen prison, trying in vain to reach her.

"Tomite, release him." Hikitsu whispered quietly. "She speaks true. She is no ally to the forces of Kutou." Tomite nodded, dissipating the barrier with a nod and falling to Hikitsu's side just as Chichiri fell to Mari's. "I am so very, very sorry, my child." he whispered, reaching for her and frowning as his hand passed through hers, unable to offer any comfort to the girl who knew their pain as deeply as anyone could. The pain of war with Kutou. "Come, we will take you to the shinzaho, and with it, you will help save this world." Chichiri nodded, gathering Mari into his arms and trying not to notice how easy the girl was to lift, holding her close to his chest as she shivered in the gloom.

"This way." Tomite turned, leading the party silently through the haze until a great door materialized out of the dark. Mari looked up at it, watching with a quiet wonder as the two spirits placed a hand on the great barrier, the doors soundlessly swinging open at their touch. She hid her face in Chichiri's coat, shielding her eyes as a holy light spilled forth, radiating from the center of the glorious chamber within.

"Come, Mari." Hikitsu held out a hand to her as Chichiri gently lowered her to her feet, materializing enough in the presence of the shinzaho to take the girl's hand in his, guiding her forward. He helped her up the glimmering stairs, leaving her as he stepped away to retrieve a dazzling necklace from the pedestal, cradling it carefully in his palm. "This necklace was once the possession of Takiko Okuda, Priestess of Genbu and beloved of Uruki of the Genbu Seven." He spoke quietly, sadness lacing his voice as he trailed his hand over the beads fondly. "Now, I pass it to you, that you may continue her work in this world." Mari found herself at a loss for words, simply bowing her head as he placed the necklace onto her shoulders. Unbidden, her hand raised to touch it, and she smiled softly. In her mind she had expected such a holy relic to weigh more, to carry the gravity of its existence in the physical world.

"What will you do now?" she asked of the warriors, letting her gaze fall to Tomite, who stood still at Chichiri's side, watching with a quiet calm. "Both of you?"

"Our work is done now." Tomite smiled, looking at Hikitsu with a glimmer of excitement.

"Yes." Hikitsu nodded, smiling softly. "After two hundred years we can now take our place in heaven beside our fellow warriors."

"And our priestess." Tomite breathed, closing his eyes at the memory of her.

"Once these great doors close, we will leave this world. Be wise, and live well." Hikitsu once again took Mari's hand, leading her down the stairs and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving her safely in Chichiri's arms once more. He stood quietly beside his fellow warrior, watching as the two made their way slowly out of the great hall. The massive doors began to close slowly on their own, taking the light with them bit by bit until the two disappeared, silent as a icy stain of breath upon the air. Chichiri didn't turn as he heard the great doors close behind him. He didn't need to look to know that they were no longer there. He could feel their spirits depart for the heavens, and he sent a silent prayer to Genbu and Suzaku both to keep them, blessing them for their service.

"We did it." Mari breathed softly, resting her head against Chichiri's shoulder as he walked with her back toward the light. Her fingers rose to her neck, threading gently through the strands that hung there. For the first time, she felt that she, a simple girl, had done something good in this world.

* * *

_Music: Dance to Another Tune - First Aid Kit_


	33. No Shinzaho for Bad Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's get ready to RUUUUUUUUMBLE!!!

"Did you hear that?" Chichiri's voice cut through Mari's quiet reverie, and she looked up at his startled face to follow his gaze toward the front of the cavern. The noises came again, A distorted shout, a roar, the wail of a girl. He set her down, and they took off toward the entrance of the cavern as fast as their weakened state would allow them, feet stumbling over the mess of bones and ice littering the floor. Breaking into the icy light of the mountaintop, their eyes screaming at the bright sun, Chichiri and Mari found themselves ankle-deep in red snow, terror rising in their throats at the scene before them.

Mari had been right. The Seiryuu had not been far behind her. They were here now, on the mountainside in close to full numbers. But she had misjudged the changes she and Su had wrought in this world. The Seiryuu weren't waiting for her return with the shinzaho. They had no eyes for the two coming out of the cave. The forces of the dragon god were embroiled in a fierce battle with the Suzaku warriors, fighting with bitter ferocity. And there, just to the left of the cave mouth, was Su. A small, red sun glowed around her as she held up a shield around herself, Miaka, and Mitsukake. Her eyes, gleaming with the blood-red light of her power, were trained on the body of the red-haired warrior sprawled over the ground, bleeding out into the snow from wounds through his chest.

"Su!" The cry ripped from Mari's throat before she could stop it, her tired feet trying to stagger to her friend. Su only had eyes for the bandit in her arms, her eyes wide with terror as his blood coursed through her fingers. But Mari's cry drew other attention.

"Mari!" Suboshi had finally noticed the girl, his voice a vicious shriek that cut through the battle. He charged her, his eyes glowing with fury as his mind reeled with the vision of his comrade fallen to her evil ways. He raised his meteor, orbs preparing to strike as he swept toward her screaming his fury. A feral growl erupted from Chichiri, and Mai jerked her head in shock just in time to watch as his unmasked face transformed into a rictus of rage. With a disarming crack, he was suddenly gone, his body appearing before the smaller boy. Chichiri's fingers viiously closed around Suboshi's throat as he viciously threw him to the ground. The orbs of Suboshi's weapon flew at him, but with a flare of his magic, Chichiri simply batted them away. His ceremonial staff pressed into Suboshi's throat, pinning him to the ground and cutting off his airway as the boy began to claw desperately at his arms.

"Chichiri..." Mari waded forward in the bloody snow, torn between her vengeance and her fear for the monk. Tears streamed down her face as she watched the normally gentle man begin to ring the last inches of life from the younger boy. "Chichiri!" she called to him again, stumbling forward. Trying to reach him before it was too late. Across the cold battlefield, Amiboshi stilled, his heart growing cold as he felt Suboshi ebb away from his consciousness. He fell to his knees, the fight leaving him as he watched Suboshi's arms go limp, falling into the snow. A bitter cry ripped from his throat, keening into the cold mountain air.

"Brother!"

"Oh, Amiboshi!" Mari's hands flew to her mouth as it fell open in horror, the boy's hurt piercing her heart. She had wanted her revenge, but not like this. Not measured in the blood of young boys bleeding out into the snow. She staggered toward Chichiri, the monk's hand still locked around the staff held tight to the Suboshi's throat, and pulled him away from the now still body. "He's gone, Chichiri." she choked, terrified as she watched his shoulders heave under the force of his breath. "Please, stop now." He turned to look at her, sanity returning to his face as he staggered back, looking at his hands and the destruction they had wrought.

The life they had stolen.

"Murderer!" Amiboshi's cry rang through the sounds of battle as he charged at Chichiri, blind to everything other than the man who had ripped his brother from him. Mari pushed Chichiri to the side as Amiboshi attacked, wrapping her arms around the boy and reaching deep into her self, calling on the last reserves of her power to erect a barrier, trapping Amiboshi in with her where he could be of no danger to anyone else.

"Amiboshi." she whispered into his hair, fighting to hold him close as he beat at her furiously with his fists. "Amiboshi, stop this!"

"He killed him!" he raged, throwing her aside and clawing at the shield, desperately trying to reach the man just outside of it. "He killed him!" A roar ripped across the battlefield, pulling Mari's eyes from Amiboshi toward the cliff edge as Ashitare charged the remaining two Suzaku warriors, claws and fangs bared. From where she was, she could see Nakago standing above it all, Soi at his side. His eyes sweeping the battle intently, a tiny smile playing about his mouth as he leaned over to the woman to whisper in her ear. She nodded as a cruel smile spread across her lips.

Clouds gathered, blotting out the sun. First snow, then the first incongruous rumbles of thunder. Lightning cracked across the sky, throwing the scene into sharp relief as it slashed at the bubble of protection Su had gathered around herself, sparking and popping with the contact. Mari felt her own power ebbing, the walls of power around her and Amiboshi thinning as he beat on them, screaming for Chichiri's blood.

"Please Amiboshi," she pleaded, "fighting won't help any of us. Nakago told Suboshi I killed you, so he went after me. And then Chichiri went after him. What will happen when you kill him? Who will come after you? Where will this end, Amiboshi?!" The boy spun to face her, his eyes hard and cold in his young face as he pulled his flute to his lips.

"It ends here." He narrowed his eyes, his teeth bared at her. "With all of you traitors paying for my brother's death."

"No." she whispered weakly as he touched his flute to his lips. The sound was agony, slicing through the warriors on the battlefield. Mari strained to keep her wards up, body shaking uncontrollably as she forced her magic beyond the point of reason, desperate to keep the boy contained from continuing the endless game of death and pain.

"Mari!" Chichiri fought to pull his hands from his ears, struggling to beat against Mari's weakening barrier and failing, falling into the snow as Amiboshi's song pierced his body like fire. It was his anguished cry that caused Su to look up for the first time since Tasuki had fallen, bleeding, into her arms. Her eyes swept the field of battle, pushing back the piercing howl of Amiboshi's attack and looking on in a detached horror as she saw Suboshi's body laying still in the snow at Chichiri's feet, the monk crying for Mari as she held a raging Amiboshi back in a flickering barrier of blue light.

_Mari._ She felt hot tears fall down her cheeks, staring at her friend with an aching heart. This was not how this was supposed to have happened! They were supposed to be reunited happily, not brought back together like this, amidst so much death! She struggled, conflicted, too afraid to leave Tasuki unprotected, but watching as Mari weakened rapidly. She felt the bandit stiffen in her arms, clenching his teeth against the mental assault, and curled protectively over him. She could feel her rage building, growing into something strong and powerful as it twisted at her gut.

Across the battlefield she could heard the roar of Ashitare mingling with the shouts of Nuriko and Tamahome as they continued to fight against him. The shrill notes of Amiboshi's vicious song drowning out Mari's plea's for peace. She looked down at the boy in her arms one last time, at his face contorted in pain. A groan left her lips as she noticed the amount of blood coating her clothes for the first time. Soi's lightning crashed against the shield of her magic once again, the cold, proud laughter of the warrior ringing in the valley. A wave of rage built in her belly, boiling into a scream that ripped from her lips. Raising a hand from Tasuki, she flung her arm out, a ball of flames flying from her fingertips toward the woman as her eyes glowed with the uncontrolled power she held within her.

Across the valley, Nakago narrowly dodged the flames, allowing them to engulf Soi with their rabid energy. Searing away at her flesh as she fell, screaming, into the ravine below. The general surveyed his troops, once so strong and proud, now failing. Pecked away at by these little birds of Suzaku. Suboshi lay dead at the feet of a weak, weeping monk. Ashitare's hide was split and marked with the blows of the two warriors flitting about him in a blur of fists and feet. Amiboshi struggled in a glass cage erected by that traitorous foreign woman. As he stood there, surveying the battlefield in disgust, Soi's dying wails rose to him from the valley floor. It was more than he could take. With a billow of his cape he whirled from the battlefield, retreating down the mountain.

He had time yet. They would pay.

Amiboshi stilled as the flames flew overhead, his breath catching in his throat as Soi's screams of agony rang through the cacophony. It was all Mari needed. Taking his face in her hands, she turned his gaze to hers as she dove into his mind. Through her exhaustion, she reached deep, pulling at anything she could grasp. Anything that would make the boy cease his attack. He stiffened, eyes flying wide as he looked at the girl, her eyes boring into his, staring him down until the lines between dreams and reality bled together into an indistinguishable haze. He fell limp into the snow, Mari's grip on him growing slack as her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell beside him, no longer possessing the strength to remain conscious.

Chichiri crawled to her in the snow, gathering her into his arms and watching with horror as her head lolled back, breath coming in ragged gasps. Across the field, Tamahome and Nuriko fell to their knees, gasping for air as Ashitare quit the field, fleeing after his master and disappearing into the treeline. Nuriko raised a hand to his chest, hissing as he felt the scratches there. He wondered just how close he had coming to getting himself run through by the beast, and cast a grateful smile in Tamahome's direction. If it wasn't for the warrior, he might not be alive, and he was not one to take that lightly. Su dropped the ward she had raised around herself and her companions, letting her shoulders sag as the weight of the great effort was removed from her. She gently shifted Tasuki to Mitsukake's lap, rising on unsteady legs as she staggered through the snow. She fell to Chichiri's side just as Tamahome and Nuriko reached him.

"What were you thinking? You could have been killed!" Tamahome cried, taking the monk by the shoulders and shaking him forcefully. "Su warned us not to come alone!"

"Tama!" Nuriko chided the man, pulling him away from Chichiri gently and looking at his friend with sad eyes. "Now isn't the time." Tamahome sighed, turning his back on Chichiri and retreating to Miaka's side. Nuriko watched him go, a sad expression marring his lovely features as he pushed his long hair out of his eyes, looking down on Chichiri. The monk cradled the unconscious woman in his arms, whispering to her softly as he rocked her body in the snow. It was almost too much for him to look upon. It was too intense, too private. He hadn't known the monk had felt anything for Mari, but there was no denying the pain in his face. It was a pain and a longing Nuriko was all too familiar with.

His eyes skirted over the bruises and welts covering Mari's skin, and he remembered the state he had found Chichiri in weeks ago, when Suboshi had attacked them in Konan. He let his eyes rest on the dead boy, his body cooling in the snow, and shook his head, finding that he couldn't blame Chichiri for his actions. He would have done the same if it had been Hotohori who had been taken from him in such a way. "You did well by her, Chichiri." he offered weakly, leaving Chichiri a moment to himself as he rejoined the party by the mouth of the cave.

Su sat in the snow by Chichiri's side, staring into Mari's unconscious face, miserable that this was how she finally found her friend. Covered in wounds, pale as the snow she lay on. She watched as Chichiri rocked with her in his arms, breath coming in gulps even as he had no tears left to give. She reached out to him, placing a light hand on his shoulder. "'Chiri?" she whispered tentatively as his body stiffened at her touch. "Was she... okay? Before the fight?" He mutely shook his head, face miserable. "We have to take her to Mitsukake." He nodded as he struggled to stand, body weak after the events of the past day. Su supported him, her arm against his back, hands searching for purchase on his arms.

It was then that it caught her eye. There, on Mari's neck, was the shinzaho of Genbu. A perfect, tiny relic of the last battle to tear these lands apart, but a warm relief after the trials of the day. Su closed her eyes, helping Chichiri carry her friend to the rest of the group. He laid her body carefully at Mitsukake's side, watching nervously as the healer struggled to use his energies to repair a gaping wound in Tasuki's side. Muscle and flesh were torn asunder, the tissue and bone beneath a red and nauseating sight. The warriors eyed their fallen brother nervously, witnessing as the tiny muscle fibers stitched together under Mitsukake's careful ministrations. As the last inch closed, Mitsukake broke his concentration, panting as sweat ran down his forehead.

"It was too much. We'll have to bandage the flesh wound and find a healer or wait until I have the time for my power to recover." He met Chichiri's eyes sadly, apologetic for the weakness he perceived in his own strength. "I'm afraid I left nothing to heal the Lady Mari." He laid a careful hand on her forehead, raising an eyelid to check her pupils, listening carefully to her breathing. "I... I am hesitant to say, but I think she should recover with proper care and rest." Mitsukake glanced around him at the group, taking in all the bruises and scrapes, the pain and exhaustion he saw in each warrior's face. In the faces of the foreign girls who they had sworn to protect. He felt ashamed at his inability to help them all. What good were his healing powers if he could only heal one wound? What use was he to these people who tried so hard to protect their home?

"We should head back down to the inn." Nuriko offered tentatively. "We'll have to switch off on carrying the two of them."

"Three." Chichiri spoke up softly. "She would want us to take Amiboshi with us." Mari would never forgive him if they left the boy she had tried so hard to protect. Eyes closed, breathing softly in the snow, he looked even younger than his fifteen years.

"Are you crazy?" Tamahome demanded, "He's one of them! He tried to kill you and only succeeded in hurting Mari again!" Nuriko laid a calming hand on Tamahome's shoulder, but agreed with him, quietly.

"'Chiri, Tasuki's lost a lot of blood. Mari's unconscious, and you can barely walk. We don't have room to pity the enemy." Chichiri shook his head at them.

"He watched me kill his brother. His leader abandoned him." Chichiri stood firm. "To leave him would make us no different from them." The warrior quieted as his words sunk in. Finally, Nuriko nodded.

"Mits, can you get the Seiryuu warrior? I'll carry Tasuki." Mitsukake acquiesced, scooping the prone Amiboshi from the snow, the young boy's head lolling on his neck as he slumped in the healer's arms. Satisfied, Chichiri lifted Mari once more, meeting Su's concerned eyes as he stood.

"I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure no harm comes to her again." His words were firm, his voice breaking only slightly at the end as he turned to follow the small party trailing down the mountain, not waiting for her reply. Su nodded to herself, moving to follow the monk down the mountain, eyes fixed on her bloody, bloody hands.

* * *

_Music: Requiem for a Tower - London Music Works_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably goes without saying, but if you were not aware yet, this is a AU fic. Things are going to happen out of order, differently, or not at all. We've thrown away canon, so expect things to get even more haywire from here on out.
> 
> Love,  
> Your Devoted Authoresses


	34. Even Seishi Get the Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little private moments.

Mari awoke to a cool hand on her forehead, body and mind heavy with the fog of a long, restless sleep. Her eyes fluttered open, coming to focus on Mitsukake in the dim candlelight. The man smiled softly down at her, even as his face was lined with obvious exhaustion.

"Welcome back." he greeted her softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." she answered honestly. "Where are we?"

"Touran. An inn at the base of the mountain. We've been waiting for you to wake before we depart for Konan."

"Waiting for me to... how long have I been out?" She sat up swiftly, Mitsukake gently catching her shoulders to steady her as the world spun.

"We returned here just after the battle. You've been asleep for almost three days now."

"Three days?" He looked away from her, settling back in his chair as a sigh escaped his lips. He looked so very, very tired.

"I wasn't strong enough." His gaze fell to his hands, ashamed. "It took all I had to keep Tasuki from bleeding out. I had nothing left afterwards."

"Tasuki, and the others, are they..?" The words stuck heavy in her throat. She was afraid of the answer, closing her eyes and bracing for the worst.

"Tasuki woke yesterday morning. He'll make a full recovery. The others are fine. They will mend on the voyage home." Mari's shoulders shook with relief, and she sharply exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"Good." Tears rose unbidden to her eyes. "I'm glad." she sobbed, fisting her hands into Mitsukake's shirt as his arms encircled her once again, letting her cry herself out into his shoulder. When her sobs subsided, he sat her up, offering her a tired smile.

"I'll have food and hot water brought to you. You should try to get some rest." She moved to protest when a great yawn overtook her, and she smiled sheepishly.

"Thank you, Mitsukake."

* * *

In the dark of his room, Tasuki sat up stiffly, giving up on sleep as the ghost of his injury ached through the long knit together flesh. Curled at his side, Su's sleeping form reached for him as he eased away, fingers coming to clutch the fading traces of warmth on the sheets. The battle replayed in his mind, still too bright and real. The Seiryuu wolf-man moved in agonizingly slow detail, claws gleaming in the morning light as he rounded on Su, the girl unaware of her assailant until it was almost too late. The look that transformed her face as Tasuki pushed her out of the way, taking her place. The claws piercing his side, tearing through tissue with an agonizing pain.

"Tas?" Su's tired voice cut through the memories, the girl sitting up in bed to look for him in the darkness.

"Did I wake ya?" he asked, turning from the window to return to her side. She let her head fall to his shoulder with a tired sigh as her hair tumbled softly over his arm, tickling his skin. He placed a lingering kiss on her temple, eyes falling closed as he fought for the right words. They hadn't spoken of the battle since they had returned to the inn; they hadn't felt the need. It had been enough that he had returned to her after Mitsukake healed him, and they had left it at that. He felt her fingers trail to his side, tracing the angry raised scars that would forever mark him. Her hand stretched, covering as much of it as she could, the rough edges of the wound trailing out between her fingertips. "Ya thought it was gonna be me, didn't ya? Instead of Nuriko." he whispered, breath stirring her hair softly. He could feel her nod against him.

_I thought I'd lost you._ She touched his mind softly, tentatively. The barest caress.

_Never_. She felt the ferocity of the word, a growl in her mind as he drew her into his arms, his lips finding the column of her neck to press heated kisses to her flesh. All the fear and desperation of the past week broke over her, and she clung to him, fingers threading through his hair as he devoured her with his lips, assuring himself that they were both alive.

* * *

Mari sighed as she sunk into the hot water, feeling it soak into her skin and work its way deep into her muscles, easing the pain of her slowly healing body. She let her head fall back, resting it against edge the wooden tub and fighting the sleepiness the steaming water conjured up. A soft knock upon the door pulled her from her doze, and she scrambled for a nearby towel to shield her body from sight as it creaked open.

"Mari?" Chichiri entered the room quietly, falling still as he saw her sitting in the small tub. Propriety told him to go, to turn and leave until she had collected herself, but then his eye fell to the marks upon her skin. A particularly fierce brand brought an anguished gasp to his lips, pulling him quietly toward her. He reached for her with shaking fingers, softly tracing the sickly yellow halo of a bite mark on her shoulder, the lingering shadow of fingers branded into the skin of her throat. She turned away from him, a ragged gasp sounding in her chest as she tried to breathe, and he saw the angry red scratches trailing down her shoulders and back.

"Don't look at me." she pleaded, holding the towel tighter, trying to disappear from his gaze. "I don't want you to see me like this."

"Mari..." Her name fell from his lips, soft in the gentle glow of the room. Her eyes turned back to his, large and watery in the firelight, as his hand rose, gently pushing the cloth aside to reveal the marked flesh she was trying to hide behind the thin towel. She let it fall away into the water with a soft splash. She could feel his gaze burning into her, his eye sweeping her skin in the tense silence. Looking beyond the marks and bruises to find the woman underneath it all. "Perfect." he murmured, raising his hands to her face, coaxing her to look him in the eye as he spoke to her. "Just as you are now, you are perfect." His lips fell to the marks on her shoulders, covering them with kisses so soft she felt as if her heart would break. "No one can ever take that from you." he murmured against her skin, breath heavy at her neck. She let her eyes fall closed, unable to fight such tenderness anymore.

"Houjun." She breathed his name like a prayer, clinging to him as he lifted her from the tub, pulling her softly to the bed as he sought out every hurt on her skin, trying to heal them away with the heated press of his lips.

* * *

 

_Music: Fear and Trembling - Cold War Kids (for Su and Tas)/Chariots Rise - Lizzie West and Baba Buffalo (for Mai and 'Chiri)_

 


	35. Hotohori's New Groove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang heads for home.

It was early the next morning when Mari woke. Her eyes opened to the first chilly rays of sunlight peeking in through the windows of the inn. Her confused mind was just brushing the last vestiges of dreams from her head when a hand trailed gently over her spine. She stiffened, clutching the sheet to her chest as she bolted upright, twisting to see who lay behind her. Chichiri met her fearful glance. He lay carefully still, waiting for her to calm, whispering into the still morning air. "It's just me."

Mari ran a hand through her hair, releasing a grateful sigh as she smiled at him. Moving back into his waiting arms, she let him gently tuck her under his chin, his fingers playing delicately along her collarbone. Her eyes drifted shut as he explored her bare skin, neither wanting to be the first to break the reverie of their peaceful, companionable silence. "I don't want to go out there." Chichiri finally admitted quietly, barely to himself, let alone to her. "What I did... everything we saw. What happened..." Chichiri lost his words in a deep shuddering breath, pulling her tighter to him, burying his next words in her hair. "I'll die before I let them take you away again."

Mari let the words linger between them, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. She sincerely hoped it didn't come to that. She could almost tell herself it wouldn't, but for the image that pressed to her mind of Tasuki, still and bleeding in Su's arms. Nothing could be predicted any longer. For every action that they took, fate lashed back with a reaction. She found she suddenly couldn't consider Chichiri's possible death as another chapter in the book. Not anymore. Not after the way he looked at her, loved her. Not after discovering the way he could touch her; his gentle embraces that smoothed away her pain and fear, chasing away the memories of–

She wouldn't think of that right now, either.

Mari gently twisted in his arms, turning her face up to Chichiri's and catching his lips with her own before whispering over the skin of his cheek. "I won't let that happen, Houjun."

It was a while later when they finally left the room, the sun midway through its climb into the sky. Mari let Chichiri tangle his fingers in her own as they walked through the inn, sleepily letting him guide her to the dining area. "Mae!" Su shot up from the table, striding quickly over to her friend. Mari found herself envying the sparkling armor the girl wore, the clean lines of the clothing, ringing a reminder in her head of the armor Taiitsukun had provided the warriors. It wasn't until her eyes traced down to Su's legs that she noticed something amiss. A dull rust color running over the plate and through the fabric, tinting the colors unpleasantly dark.

Tasuki.

Her eyes darted across the faces at the table frantically, finally coming to rest on the red-haired warrior, a touch more pale than usual, but otherwise not visibly worse for wear. Sitting beside the space Su had just vacated at the table, he was engaged in what appeared to be a supremely low-end battle of the wits with Tamahome. Su followed her friend's eyes, glancing down at her legs with a rueful smile.

"I just thought... I mean, I don't want to forget what I'm fighting for." she ended lamely, a blush creeping over her cheeks. She raised her eyes to Mari, her face shifting to curiosity as she moved to change the subject. "I wonder..." Su stepped delicately toward Mari, slowly reaching out a hand. Chichiri tightened his grip nervously on Mari's left hand as Su approached them. Her head tilted ever so slightly, the barest trace of contained red power glowing along the edges of her irises. Ever so carefully, her hand came forward, gently inching toward Mari's right. She reached forward, their individual powers flaring gently into focus for a moment before fading, allowing Su to triumphantly seize Mari's hand in her own, a breath leaving her lips in excitement as her eyes darted to her friend's face.

Breaking into a broad smile Su moved forward, seizing Mari in tight hug, bouncing up and down with the discovery. "I knew it! I knew it! Now that I've got a better control of my magic, I can keep Suzaku's energy from leaping out to block yours!" Mari patted weakly at the girl's arms, feeling claustrophobic in her intense grip. Finally letting her go, Su stared at her wide-eyed, tears brimming. "I'm sorry. It's just..." she trailed off with a small smile, shaking her head. "But you must be hungry. Here I am gettin' all crazy and you're probably starving!" She moved back to her seat around the table, settling down in her spot next to Tasuki and stealing a spoonful of congee from his bowl as he bickered with Tamahome. She looked so at home, so comfortable among the warriors. Mari remembered her meals with the Seiryuu. Tense affairs filled with courtly politics and silent loathing that made her skin crawl. Tomo's hand creeping on her leg under the table. The way Amiboshi had struggled to not meet her eyes.

Amiboshi.

Chichiri had said he was being held in the ship's brig. Alive and healthy, at least for now. The boy hadn't been eating, refusing to rise from the bed. Chichiri had gone to apologize, not expecting forgiveness, but expecting Amiboshi's still-boiling hate even less. The boy had flown at the bars of the ship, spitting and cursing like a rabid beast, hands reaching for the monk in a bloody-minded rage. Chichiri had not been back, enlisting Nuriko to check in on the boy.

Mari gripped tighter at Chichiri's hand as they moved to sit, sensing it would be a very long trip to Konan indeed.

* * *

Three long weeks had passed in the palace of Konan when word came that a ship was sighted on the harbor. Hotohori ran to the window, heart rising in his chest as he saw the flag of Konan proudly waving in the warm evening wind.

Three weeks, long and, well, not so lonely. It wasn't long after the departure of the warrior that the boy Chiriko had been brought to the palace in the hopes that the royal surgeon could help with the lasting sleep the boy had fallen into. The surgeon had immediately alerted the emperor after finding the symbol of Suzaku on the young warrior's body. Hotohori quickly moved the boy into the palace, allowing the surgeon to pursue the strange case wholeheartedly.

There had been some other, more than pleasant, distractions as well. The lady Houki, once of the royal harem, had offered to help the surgeon with the young boy, impressing the emperor with her delicate ways and kind heart. They had talked at the bedside of the youngest warrior as she pressed cool cloths to Chiriko's head, softly singing lullabies as if he was just another sleeping child. Hotohori had to admit that his mind had not been with his priestess this whole time. For the first time since childhood, she had not been the answer to every questioning thought to his future, his kingdom, his heirs. It caused a twinge of guilt, this slight betrayal, but what was it that Su had said? Keep your options open?

Yes, that was it. He was keeping his options open. Breaking his reverie with a small smile, Hotohori turned from the window, calling for the royal palanquin. He would meet the party when they docked.

* * *

Mari watched the coastline of Konan come into view on the horizon, appreciating the view with a deep sigh as she let the sea air fill her lungs. When she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was back in her world, listening to the surf on a warm summer day. The slow journey had done them all some good, mending bodies and hearts alike as the small party sailed for home. Su and Mari had spent long hours sharing tales of their adventures with each other, their friendship slowly mending with each passing day. By the end of the week, the girls were rarely found far from each other's side.

"What do you think will happen now?" Mari asked Su quietly as her friend came to rest on the railing beside her.

"We find the last shinzaho, I suppose?" Su shrugged, watching as Mari reached for her throat, letting her hand fall away as she remembered that she had given the necklace to Miaka for safe keeping. "And Miaka summons Suzaku." It seemed so simple, laid out like that. The forces of Seiryuu had been severely diminished, and realistically, neither girl could see them being much of a threat from this point on, despite the foreknowledge they had come to this world with.

"And what about us?" Mari cast her gaze away from the railing, letting her eyes sweep the deck to rest on Tasuki. Raising his head to glance at Su, he caught Mari's gaze, holding it for a moment before giving her a small wave and returning to whatever game he was playing with several of the sailors. "Do we go back? To our world?"

"I hadn't thought about that." Su murmured, following Mari's gaze and feeling her heart clench suddenly. For some reason, she never thought about the fact that she might have to leave Tasuki behind. The story had always been about Miaka and Tamahome, of their enduring love. There had never been an end game written for a foreign girl who had suddenly found herself spending long nights with a fiery bandit. "I... I don't know."

"You love him, don't you?" Mari asked quietly, a small smile curling her lips. She didn't need to see Su's face to know the answer. She could almost feel the blush radiating off of her friend.

"Yeah, I guess I do, Suzaku help me." Su laughed, realizing that she had never said it out loud before. It was on her tongue to ask after her friend and the monk. You would have had to be blind to miss the heated glances exchanged between the two. But no, Su decided that perhaps it was better to leave things unsaid. Mari had been through enough in the last several weeks, and whatever comfort the two had found in each other, there was no need to complicate it further.

"Well, we still have time." Mari smiled softly, raising her hand to let it rest on Su's, giving the younger girl's hand a reassuring squeeze. A soft violet light emanated from the contact, and Mari laughed as the magic tickled her skin. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this." Su' laughter caught on the sea breeze.

"Well, we still have time."

* * *

_Music: Old Skin - Ólafur Arnalds_


	36. Byakko's On Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Famous last words, Su. Famous last words.

Their homecoming had been a joyful, tear filled event. Hotohori had met them on the docks with a retinue of palace guards, watching with an ever-widening smile and great relief as each warrior who had departed Konan several long weeks ago rejoined him once again. Exhausted, but alive and well. One by one, they stepped foot on shore, smiles infectious as they caught sight of his relieved face. Even Mari, who was an unexpected addition to the party, barely gave him pause as she appeared at the top of the gangplank, Chichiri helping her gently down. His unmasked gaze all but dared the emperor to try to tear her from his side. Hotohori merely held his hands out to the couple, easing them to steady ground and embracing her into the kind reception without a second thought.

As eager as he was to hear the tale of their voyage, Hotohori's sharp eyes didn't miss the exhausted slump of their shoulders or the wear and damage to their bodies and armor. While all had returned home, their victory seemed hard-won. With a kind smile, he ushered the party to the awaiting palanquins, making sure that they were all settled comfortably before climbing into his own and allowing the processional to make its way back to the palace.

Midway through their journey, the gently sway of the palanquin lulled Mari into a quiet doze, her head falling to Chichiri's shoulder as the girl's body softened with sleep. He shifted the sleeping woman to a more comfortable position, pillowing her head in his lap as the other passengers hushed their voices, careful not to disturb her. "How can she still be so tired?" Su asked quietly, watching as Chichiri ran his fingers through her hair. She found herself stifling a yawn even as she asked the question, and chuckled quietly to herself.

"We're all kinda tired." Tasuki sighed, leaning back and watching the streets of Konan as they passed by behind the gauzy curtains. "But I think she might have had it a bit worse than the rest of us."

"We'll be able to rest soon enough, once Suzaku is summoned." Chichiri looked at the two, a hopeful smile crossing his unmasked face. He hadn't seen fit to cover it again, leaving the mask in the snow where Mari had dropped it outside the Shrine of Genbu. By now it had been long-buried in the blood and snow on the now distant mountainside. "Once we have the final Shinzaho in our possession, this war will be ended."

"I still can't believe we won." Su whispered, hugging her arms to herself as she recalled the events that should have come to pass. That both she and Mari's presence in this world had changed, seemingly for the better.

'You say that like you thought we were gonna lose." Tasuki scolded her halfheartedly, throwing an arm around her and pulling her to his side. When she remained still, he looked down at her, his brow furrowing slightly. "We were never gonna lose, right?" Su could feel Chichiri and Tasuki's gaze boring into her, and she suddenly wanted to be anywhere but where she was.

"If we weren't here, if we didn't interfere, yes, you would have." Su provided solemnly. She didn't see the harm in speaking of it, not when she could see Nuriko in the safety of the palanquin in front of theirs, combing out his long hair with his fingers and speaking softly with Mitsukake as they approached the palace. "Ashitare... he was supposed to have stolen the shinzaho from Miaka. After a battle for the second in Sairo, Yui would have summoned Seiryuu before you could stop her." She heard Chichiri's sharp intake of breath. Failure was never an option any of the Suzaku had contemplated. She wasn't sure that is was kind to let them know how close they had come to failure, but surely, with fate set on the course it was now, there was no harm in sharing what could have been? "But how can that happen now?" She forced a smile to her lips. "We're all here, standing together against the few remaining Seiryuu warriors. Even on his own, Nakago isn't that powerful! We just need the last shinzaho, and then we can defeat them." She urged, refusing to give up hope. The two warriors regarded each other for a long moment.

"I suppose you're right." Chichiri acquiesced softly. If anything, they deserved a small amount of hope after the trials they had been through.

* * *

Mari woke to a soft knock, sitting up in an unfamiliar bed as she stared at the door. She blinked in the low light, for a moment afraid she had woken in her chambers in Kutou once more, the past weeks nothing more than a cruel dream. The knock sounded again, the voice outside calming her instantly as it drifted to her ears.

"Mari? It's Su." Mari's shoulders relaxed her friend appeared from behind the door.

"Come on in." Mari called, sitting up with a sleepy smile as the girl crossed the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, for a minute I forgot where I was.".

"You fell asleep on the way here. Chichiri didn't want to wake you, he brought to his rooms so you could sleep some more. He's with Hotohori and the others now, discussing the plans to collect final Shinzaho."

"How come you're not with them?"

"I was, for a while." Su shrugged casually. "But this is something for them to sort out. Besides, I thought you might like something to wear that actually fit you." Su smiled at Mari, tugging on a too-long shirt sleeve as the older girl rubbed the last of the sleep from her eyes. Su had been lending Mari some of her extra clothing for the voyage home, but she was quite a bit taller, and Mari had spent a good deal of time tripping over the hems of her borrowed robes. She dropped the bundle in Mari's lap with a grin. "They were Nuriko's, back when he lived in the royal harems. He said he didn't need them anymore and thought you would like them. You two are about the same size, minus the, uh..."

"Womanly assets?" Mari teased, running the fine silk through her fingers. Su's laughter joined hers.

"Yeah, those. Hurry up, try them on, I wanna see!" Su bounced up and down with excitement, turning away politely to allow her friend a small amount privacy.

"Hold on a second!" Mari laughed, getting up out of bed and slipping off her too big garments in favor of the fine second-hand gown. "Well, what do you think?" she asked hesitantly, worried it was all too much. Su turned around, her eyes going wide as she clapped her hands in excitement.

"Perfect!" Mari smiled as Su grabbed her arm, pulling her from the dim room out into the hallway to wait for the warriors to finish their meeting. Their soft laughter floated down the palace hallways, and for the first time in a long while, the women felt that their terribly strange lives were suddenly approaching something they could dare to call normalcy.

* * *

"Then it is agreed. We will next venture to Sairo to obtain the final shinzaho!" Hotohori smiled victoriously at the warriors assembled before him, his heart lighter than it had been since the Miaka first saw fit to appear in their world. The discovery of the true Chiriko had breathed new life into the exhausted warriors, and Mitsukake had left them a short time ago to attend to the boy, vowing to do everything in his power to wake the sleeping warrior. Upon learning that Nakago and a mere handful of his warriors were now all that stood between them and their quest, and finally seeing the shinzaho of the Priestess of Genbu, the brimming war with Kutou felt like nothing more but a bad dream. The assembled warriors nodded, unable to contain the great smiles that broke across their faces.

"We're so close!" Tamahome whispered to Miaka, pulling the girl into his arms and spinning her into the air, her laughter ringing through the room. "In just a short while this will all be over, and we can be together." The priestess let her eyes fall closed, pulling Tamahome into a tight embrace and whispering his name softly. She was lifting herself onto her toes to kiss him sweetly just as an urgent knock sounded through the room.

"Highness!" The guard on the other side of the door threw them wide, the wood clacking harshly against the ornate walls, too distraught to wait for the command to enter. He ran to Hotohori's feet, throwing himself prostrate, head bowed low to the ground. "Forgive me, Highness, I bring urgent news."

"Speak." Hotohori rose to his feet, descending the steps of his dias to stand before the guard. "What has happened?"

"The Kutou army, Highness. We just received word." He gasped for breath, fighting to get his missive out in his panic. "They have burned the capitol Sairo to the ground, and are marching for Konan in full force!"

"What? But how?" Hotohori's eyes grew wide, and he fell heavily to the steps, all hope torn from him in an instant. He surveyed each warrior in turn, reading the defeat there and feeling his heart break as tears sprung to Miaka's eyes. With a great, shuddering breath, he collected himself, drawing himself regally to his full height. "How long until they arrive?"

"With the week." The messenger stammered, eyes wide with fear.

"Then prepare the armies. Konan will go to war!"

* * *

The streets of the capitol had burned. He'd made sure of that. The pathetic remaining warriors of Byakko had held on as long as they could, trying in vain to protect the relic of their dearly departed priestess. They had even foolishly dared to tell him 'no'. He had laughed in their ancient faces, Ashitare pouncing on that fool Tokaki, the stupid man fighting for his wife. Nakago forced her to put her powers to use on Tomo, bringing the psychotic warrior back to gasping, weeping life. It had drained her power, and the old woman had fallen away from Nakago's hand, a husk of what she had once been. Tokaki had thrown himself even more frantically at the wolf-man then, succeeding only in finding a bloody death at the creature's claws.

Tatara had not been an easy kill, outright refusing to give the Shinzaho to the general. He silently endured the mental and physical rites they had put him through; a peaceful look of acceptance on his face. A wave of rage had ultimately forced Nakago to run him through, the man giving up the ghost as if he had been waiting for the sword. As Tatara had gasped a dying apology to Suzuno, the tiny mirror had revealed itself, glowing white in the hand of the fallen warrior while his blood cooled around him.

From there, it had been simple. Nakago allowed the Kutou army to do what came naturally to them. Released onto the city, they ripped it apart as locusts from a plague. Chaos reigned as the men looted homes, destroyed buildings, humiliating the peasants as they bound them to each other in long lines, future slaves to the city of Kutou. As they rode for Konan, the crippled city crumbling at their backs, Nakago lifted a single hand, the smallest of fires starting in the center of the town. Building, spreading, consuming all in its path as it devoured the bodies of the last Byakko warriors, stiffened and contorted in their painful deaths. Not the deaths of warriors, but the deaths of cowards. And their grave would be that of a pauper.

It satisfied him, and they rode on. After all, he had a promise to keep to the Lady Mari.

* * *

_Music: Baby's On Fire - Venus in Furs_


	37. Good Morning, Konan!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm.

In the days following the announcement of war, the palace was thrown into an uproar. Hotohori had shed his emperor's robes, donning the armor of his station as he readied the armies of Konan. At their side, the remaining warriors of Suzaku ran through the drills by day, stepping onto the field at sunrise and falling sore and exhausted into bed each night.

Mitsukake had awakened little Chiriko, and the sweet boy had easily become a natural member of the Suzaku. The missing piece in the team that made them whole. His good will balanced out the obnoxious bravado of Tamahome and the impatient swagger of Tasuki, bringing a harmony and focus that the warriors hadn't realized they had lacked. The older warriors took to the child instantly, simultaneously teaching and protecting him. Though he taught them just as much, his intelligence and vast knowledge strengthening their tactics. The child was a boon to Hotohori, spending long hours in the war room with both he and Chichiri, the three running strategy over and over long into the night until Chiriko would inevitably drift off to sleep as the hours caught up to him.

Even Su and Mari found themselves in the fields outside of the city, the two desperately trying to hone the powers granted by their beastly gods into weapons of destruction and salvation. They blocked and struck, practicing maneuvers they were terrified to someday have to use. Su couldn't shake the feeling that had gripped at her heart when her magic had snuffed out Soi's life. It was a black mark on her soul that felt like an oil slick in her head. Mari's mind still held the memory of Suboshi dying bitterly on the battlefield. Her heart beat heavily under the weight of the guilt she felt at not being able to save him.

Amiboshi's anguished cry still rang in her mind, waking her in the dead of night, and not a day went by that she didn't find the time to visit with him in the dungeons. She would sit on the edge of his bed, whispering to him in hushed tones as she stroked his hair. She was desperate to get the boy to talk, to eat, anything to show some sign of life outside of his breathing and wide, catatonic eyes. The only thing that could wring anything out of the boy was Chichiri. His name alone was enough to send the boy into a rage like nothing she had even seen. He would beat his fists bloody on the walls, his voice growing raw from screaming until the fight would suddenly leave him sobbing and trembling on the floor.

Mari didn't have any words left for him. The loss of the boy's twin had made it seem as if a part of his soul had gone missing, forcibly ripped out of him in the heat of battle. She could only sit quietly at his side, holding his hand in hers as she whispered her hundreth apology to him. "I'm sorry, Amiboshi. I know you miss Suboshi." At the mention of his twin, he pulled his hand away as his eyes filled with tears.

"Oh no." he snarled sharply at her. "Suboshi's soul joined with mine at his death. I can feel him here." Amiboshi placed a hand over his heart, eyes boring into hers. "I can feel him, and he is angry. _We_ are angry. Suboshi never could deal with his anger, and he's calling for blood." Mari watched with a dim horror as he subsided back into a blank eyed catatonia, leaving him alone again in the darkness of his cell as his words echoed in her mind.

In their room that night, she had wound her arms tightly around Chichiri, burying her face in his chest as he stroked her hair, her back, cradling her to him as he ran his mouth down her neck and over her collarbone. "It'll be okay, Mari." he whispered, attempting to ease her worry with soft words. "Kutou will come, but we will fight. Hotohori will be a good general. He will lead his armies well." She nodded numbly, capturing his mouth with hers. It wasn't the approaching army she feared. Kutou's armies were a mob, nothing more. You could escape a mob. It was their leader she feared. Nakago had murder in his heart and a rageful insanity in his mind. As Amiboshi had whispered to her in the dark, it was blood that he lusted for. Her blood, the blood of her friends, the blood of the man she suddenly found herself so deeply entwined with. Nakago's promise rose to the front of her mind, bringing an ominous fear over her.

Chichiri rolled her carefully on top of him, looking up at her softly. His gaze drove the thoughts from her mind as he ran a gentle hand over her back. She looked down at him, his skin pale in the moonlight as she pushed back his hair from his face, tracing her hand over his scarred eye. She filed away small pieces of him in her memory. The corners of his lips as they tilted into a sad smile. The way his fingertips trailed softly on her skin. The way the light reflected in his good eye as it caressed her face in the dark. She sighed as his hands roamed over her, allowing herself one last thought before he pulled her body down onto him.

She would do every last thing in her power to prevent Nakago from finding what he was coming for.

* * *

The morning dawned like any other. Su stretched her arms above her head, relishing the warm breeze that traced over her sore muscles. Mari had got her good yesterday, knocking her off a feet and landing her in a pile of twisted limbs against a nearby rock. It was not her proudest moment, untangling herself in front of the chuckling retinue of soldiers who had been watching their sparring match. As her mind fruitlessly retraced the events of the previous day, she let her eyes drift over the sleeping boy next to her. Tasuki snored softly as he lay sprawled on his stomach across the mattress, one arm hooked possessively over her waist in sleep. She gently touched his mind with her own, just the fraction of a question, but it was enough for him to sleepily blink open an eye as he pulled her closer.

"Let me sleep, eh?" his voice was still rough with the sleep. "'Tohori's gonna want me out there soon enough." She smiled, closing her own eyes as she cuddled closer to him, breathing in his scent of pine and... Her eyes popped open, blinking rapidly as she took a deep breath through her nose, trying to convince herself the smoke was something other than it was.

It couldn't be! She wasn't ready yet! She found she had been staring blindly into Tasuki's eyes, his face mirroring her shock and fear as their panicked thoughts clashed together in a rare moment.

_Do you..?_

_...smell the smoke? It can't -_

_...be Kutou, it's too soon, I don't want -_

_...this is too much, I've only ever thrown over battalions, and with my men, not -_

_...see a battlefield, nevermind an army and -_

_...why aren't they here? I should have sent for Kouji, sent for-_

Her fingers found the angle of his jaw, startling him from his fearful reverie. "We have to fight." She eased up from the bed, grasping his hand to pull him after her. They dressed swiftly, pulling clothing and armor on over worn, tired muscles they could only hope held the memory of what had to happen today. Pausing before the door, he pulled her into an embrace that made her heart pound in her ears. His lips found hers desperately as his voice rang through her mind.

_Meet me back here tonight._ He broke away from her lips, resting his forehead to hers as he whispered, "Promise me."

"I promise." Stepping back, they looked at each other for a moment before opening the door to their room and stepping out into the madness.

* * *

The two women stepped out onto the wall at the same time, the barely contained fires of their magic pulsing in a low glow around them. They stood above the armies of Konan, watching as the warriors took their place at the head of the battlefield. In the distance, smoke clouded the horizon, the field tense with the anticipation of the battle to come. The sound of approaching troops clattered across the field as the ground shook with their passing. Mari felt Su's hand slide into hers, an electric shock of energy in her palm. She looked over at her friend, the girl staring sadly at the horizon. Her voice came in the smallest of whispers, a secret that only her friend could hear.

"We need to make the story right, Mae." Mari turned back to face the horizon, the fear draining out of her as she strengthened her resolve.

"We will. We have to."

* * *

Nakago had always enjoyed the silent etiquette of war. The still moments before both armies collided, staring down his enemies and feeling the ground shake with their trembling as the earth cried for their blood. He had fought in many wars, bested many armies, but never had he savored the moment before battle as much as he did now as he watched these fledgling warriors fight to stand their ground. He could almost taste their desperation, their childish belief that good would always triumph over evil.

How he would enjoy teaching these fools of the realities of this cruel world. Crushing them one by one, fighting his way to the palace over a red carpet of their blood, only to summon the dragon god in his enemy's house as Konan burned to the ground around them. Nakago almost felt drunk on the prospect, his blood thrumming in his ears.

"My Lord, what of the girl?" Nakago heard Tomo hiss as the painted man rode to his side, revenge on his mind as his gaze trailed over the battlefield to the blue fire glowing softly atop the wall.

Nakago smiled, then, cold and deadly. "We _break_ her."

* * *

_Music: Love is a Battlefield - The Mediam_


	38. Dr. Nakago's Sing-Along War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They all were really, really sad.

Mari and Su watched from the walls as the front lines of the Kutou's army came into view. The forces of Suzaku stirred restlessly, the men shifting amid the clank of armor and shuffle of hooves. Straining her eyes, Mari could just make out Nakago, remembering his threat in the cold dungeons of Kutou. His cruel words still echoed in her head.

_"You WILL help us. You WILL take us to retrieve the shinzaho. And you WILL be the fall of Suzaku. And after you do, I will make you watch as I burn their kingdom, as I raze their land, as I kill everyone of those that you hold dear slowly and painfully before your eyes. And you will know that it is because of you that they suffer. It is because of your arrogance and foolish pride that I will wring screams from their throats until they have nothing left to give but their souls."_

She suddenly felt too far from the battle, wondering how she was to protect anyone while stuck on a palace wall in the back of the field. Clutching helplessly at the stone, she tried to see further, searching out weak points in their lines. But it was the man riding to Nakago's left that finally snagged her eye. "No!" The shriek ripped from her, turning into incoherent babbling as Su's hands moved to steady her. "No! Nononono! It can't be him! I ended him, he's gone, he's gone!" Su followed her friends gaze, just able to make out the gleam of the painted warrior's armor. She could almost feel his eyes on them, as if the man was arrogantly staring them down from horseback. Mari stiffened, and Su's eyes returned to her face as it hardened into a mask of savage determination. "They will not win. "

Mari's fists closed tightly at her sides as she squared her shoulders, turning to face Su. The younger girl knew what her friend would say before the words even left her lips, but it still didn't lessen the sting. "I need to go." Mari's gaze swept the front lines, falling desperately on the warriors assembled there. For a moment, it crossed Su's mind to protest. To cling to her friend desperately and hold her down until the battle was over. As she fought for the right words, she felt Tasuki brush her mind, barely contained anxiety and adrenaline pushed aside to offer her a moment of wordless reassurance. This was all of their battle, now. There was nothing she could say to still Mari.

"Be safe." she choked, enfolding Mari in an embrace she prayed wouldn't be their last.

"You too." Mari returned the hug with ferocity, offering Su a sad smile before turning to run down the stairs, moving confidently toward the stable master. Within a matter of moments, Su watched her friend ride through the troops, heading straight for the front lines, an azure fire burning through the field of red. She stretched her hands out on the wall before her, bowing her head as she summoned the energy of Suzaku to her fingertips

Across the field, Chichiri felt his stomach twist as the Kuotou army bore down on their own contingent. The battlefield had never been his place. Rational thought and actions had no room on the front lines he had found himself on since Miaka's arrival. The murder of Suboshi still weighed heavy on his heart, the events in Touran haunting his mind night and day. Now, standing here beside Hotohori with the men of Konan at his back, a tendril of fear curled in his stomach as the knowledge of what was to come. Fear for himself, fear for his warrior brothers, his priestess, for his land.

For Mari.

As if he had summoned her, she appeared at his side, resplendent in her armor and glowing with the power of Seiryuu. The look on her face was one of power, strengthening his spirit as her eyes met his, defiance and pride ringing behind the ill-restrained blue glow. From his spot beside Nuriko, Tasuki hollered over at Mari, fangs flashing in a sideways grin.

"Oi, Mari! Su better not be hiding in one of yer saddle bags." The tension snapped, and suddenly the warriors were laughing in the face of danger, chuckles growing too big for the quip that inspired them. They threw their heads back as they laughed their fear to the sky. And there, laughter still on their lips, they threw themselves at the Kutou army, weapons drawn and fiery spirits becoming one as they flew into the battle.

Far above the battle, Su stood on the ramparts, red charges of energy cradled in her hands as she watched everything she loved in this strange world crash against everything she loathed. Magic flew above the battle in reds and blues, fire licking at the sky. Eyeing the battle, she hurled a concentrated blast to the center of the Kutou troops, a satisfied smirk lighting her face as she watched a ripple of confused movement spread where it landed. Bringing her arm around, she aimed a second blast at the blonde head she could just see amid the troops, a curse leaving her lips as she missed by mere inches. The battle continued its wave and pulse, red and blue mingling in a tide of tiny moments of hope and fear. She pushed her power forward, aiming it with deadly accuracy, ignoring the feeling of each tiny death, a million tiny pinpricks of pain and guilt to her heart.

Tasuki found himself on his feet in the midst of the battle, darting around troops, his speed wreaking havoc as he unleashed torrent after torrent of flame upon the enemy. In a clearing of clashing bodies and flashing steel, he let his eyes trace the palace walls, seeking out for a glimpse of Su. As he searched, his mind clouded over, and he watched from her eyes as a burst of angry red sailed through the sky. _Too close He's too close!_ He rolled out of the way as the energy burst in a wave behind him, summoning a scream from the enemy as an angry shout echoed in his mind. _Pay attention, bandit!_ Tasuki spun, heart stopping as the man poised behind him fell to his knees, screaming as the flames of Suzaku's power consumed him. A bloody axe fell from his slack hands, and the sounds of the battlefield ebbed away until he could only hear the frantic beating of his pulse in his ears. He could only watch as the soldier fell to the ground, a grotesque rattle issuing from his throat as the fires of Suzaku, Su's power, burned the last of his life away.

"Damn." he whispered, eyes wide as the battle snapped back into his consciousness, seeming to play in fast forward to make up for the momentary lapse.

_Tasuki!_ Su roared in his mind, snapping his attention back to the field as he raised his tessen to block an attack, clenching his teeth with the effort and dissolving once more into the endless dance of clashing steel and blood.

Across the field, Mari urged her mount through the front lines, always a few steps behind the Suzaku as she reached deep into her power to throw up a shield after shield. Every time an errant blade or arrow made its way toward one of them, it bounced harmlessly off of the shining wards, giving the warriors just enough of a upper hand to issue a killing blow. She could feel Su's attacks rippling through the edges of her shields each time her friend threw a blast, causing them to waver slightly, even after all the training. She steeled her resolve, bending the magic to her will, refusing to be a pawn of Seiryuu. Charging through the field, she steered her way through the carnage, skirting the worst of the fighting to come up behind Hotohori and Tamahome as the two men pushed desperately through the battle, cutting bloody path toward Nakago.

"Go!" she cried. "I'll cover you!" She focused her power inward, shrouding the two men in a silver blue aura, urging them forward as she rode hot on their heels, her body low to her horse to avoid the arrows she didn't have enough energy left to block. They rode like the demons of hell were at their backs, bare steel drawn as they charged the enemy general, the cry of battle on their lips. A rain of holy fire flew over their head, Su supporting their attack from atop the wall, turning Nakago's attention from the charge for just an instant.

_It's enough!_ Mari thought triumphantly, watching as Nakago dodged the fiery attack, Hotohori closing in on him. She braced for the strike, triumphant. Suddenly, Nakago caught her gaze, time falling to a grinding halt as his blue eyes narrowed in grotesque pleasure and a great flare of power radiated from him, throwing the three from their horses and onto the ground. Mari landed flat on her back, the wind knocked from her and her shields giving way. Stars swam before her eyes as she tried to roll onto her stomach, straining weakly for purchase on the muddy ground.

"Hotohori!" It was Nuriko's anguished cry that reached her ears first. His wail heralded the horrific sight long before her eyes found it. The sword gleamed in the sunlight, protruding unnaturally through the emperor's shoulder blades, crimson blood trailing its length to fall to the earth. Nakago's hand clutched Hotohori's shoulder, pulling the gasping man to him and whispering in his ear. The blade withdrew cruelly, and the young emperor's body fell to the ground like a broken doll. Mari screamed, crawling to his side, oblivious to the battle that continued around her as she encased them both in shimmering ward, pressing her hands to his chest as she futilely tried to staunch the bleeding.

"Not like this! Not like this! I've worked too damn hard for you to die like this!" she cried angrily, watching with a broken heart as blood escaped the corners of his lips.

"Please, Mari. I know my... my faith in you... has not always been... true." He coughed weakly, strength ebbing away. "But... please... save this world. Summon... Suzaku... and save... us." A shuddering gasp tore at Hotohori, forcing his blood to pulse hot and thick over her fingers as his eyes fell dim. Mari threw her head back, her anguished roar tearing through the battlefield.

* * *

_Music: This is War - 30 Seconds to Mars_


	39. Death of a Shogun

 

 

It was a moment that would live in folklore for years to come. Told from the lips of minstrels and drunkards alike.

Across the battlefield, the Suzaku warriors cried out together as one, agony searing through their bones as their emperor died. The feeling of Hotohori slipping away ripped through them with all the fire of their beast god. In that moment, a boiling rage coursed through their veins, a single battle cry uniting them across the field as they converged on the spot of their fallen brother.

In their heart-break and fury, they closed in on the powerful man before them. A shield of bright purple energy deflected every blast of magic, every swing of his sword, as Mari and Su's angry magic found a furious harmony and protected the advancing warriors. Nakago's face turned tense as the group of four circled him, their eyes searching for an opening in his defenses.

They only needed a small moment. Just the slightest hesitation.

When they found it, Nuriko charged in, strong hands seizing the enemy general's Nakago's sword arm. Nuriko twisted the cruel sword from his grip with a crack of bone and sinew. Nuriko's beautiful face contorted, turning ugly as it formed a mask of rage and hate and pure misery as he drew an arm around Nakago's neck. The general's hands scrabbled in panic, leaving gouges in Nuriko's flesh as a cold, blue fire rose to lick flames around them both. They burned at Nuriko, blistering and searing away his flesh as he held fast. Nakago's wide blue eyes stared in disbelief, sweeping the field in his panic. Where were his soldiers? Where were the Seiryuu warriors? What had happened now to his quiet etiquette? His grand plans?

And then she appeared.

He thought her a mirage at first, a false vision created from the haze of battle, but no. She was there, walking toward him from behind the ridiculous Suzaku warriors. Her face still lingered in his memory, even after all these years, and he felt tears slip into his eyes as her lovely long hair stirred around her shoulders. His heart ached for her as she stood before him, smiling sadly into his eyes. "Come home, Aruyu." she whispered, "Come to me, my son."

Nuriko wailed once more, the sound gut-wrenching in its agony as he summoned the last of his strength into a vicious twist. There was a sickening snap, an eerie splintering, and Nakago's body fell lifeless to the ground.

* * *

Su had long since scrambled down from the battlements, making her way steadily across the battlefield as her magic flared in a red fire around her. She kept her eyes trained on the Suzaku as her magic mixed with and strengthened Mari's, building a wall in front of the men as they circled Nakago, closing in like a pack of wild animals on cornered prey. As Nuriko seized the man, she let the wall drop, hurrying toward them at the center of the battle as fast as she could, leaping around bodies and dodging weapons. Flames licked from her fingertips as she shot past sallies and enemies alike.

In her haste, she didn't see it coming. The enemy soldier behind her was whirling away from an attack just as she passed, his body moving to counter attack out of instinct. It was too late before he noticed the face before him was that of a scared, young girl, not an enemy soldier. In his surprise, he changed his grip at the last moment, turning the blade just enough for pommel of his weapon crashing into her temple, bringing darkness to ring down before her eyes, her body dropping to the muddy field.

The man spent little more than a second glance at her, leaving her to bleed into the wet earth as he whirled to face his next foe .

* * *

Tasuki ran.

He ran faster than he thought he could, faster than he thought could be possible. Long purple hair trailed over his shoulder as his feet careening through the halls of the Konan palace to the infirmary Mitsukake had built for those who had fallen to injury in battle. He crashed through the doors, the eyes of Mitsukake, Chiriko and Miaka flying up from a soldier of Kutou they were bandaging up. Cradling Nuriko as gently as he could in his arms, Tasuki begged them for help.

"Nakago got Hotohori. Nuriko... he just went crazy. Got himself burnt up good. Can't you... can't you do nothin' for 'im?" They leapt into action. There was no time to process any information beyond Nuriko's present condition. Their emperor would have to be mourned later. Miaka placed a cool hand on Nuriko's forehead, careful to avoid the burns creeping up the side of his face, wincing as the once beautiful warrior groaned unconsciously.

"I will do what I can, Tasuki." Mitsukake assured the boy, his eyes never leaving Nuriko as he placed weary hands to the damaged flesh, willing his power to work one more time. Tasuki nodded, his eyes burning with tears he was desperately trying not to shed. Chiriko slipped his small hand into Tasuki's, squeezing it with a quiet reassurance. Tasuki looked down at him, and the young boy's face grew serious.

"Did he avenge the emperor?" Chiriko asked, l pressing his lips into a stern line to keep them from trembling.

"Yeah." Tasuki choked. "He got 'im. That bastard Nakago isn't gonna lay a hand on any of us ever again."

"That's good." Chiriko nodded, releasing Tasuki's hand and returning to Mitsukake's side.

"Tasuki, we will take care of Nuriko." The healer said softly. "Go, return to the warriors. The fight is not yet done." Tasuki nodded, turning to crash out the doors, his feet once more carrying him into the fray.

* * *

_Music: Fire in the Blood - The Bootleggers/Emmylou Harris_


	40. Run, Tomo, Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't do drugs, kids.

Mari stared wide eyed at Nakago's broken, still body. Her lips curled back in a grotesque grimace as a peal of nervous, high pitched laughter fell ragged from her throat. He was gone. Simply gone. Broken and unmoving in the bloody grass beside Hotohori's cool body. Just another man dead on the battlefield. And all his threats had died with him. She was free of him, and of every horror he has promised to visit upon her and those she loved. She felt her body convulse, the laughter dissolving into hysterical sobbing as the catharsis overcame her, tearing her fear from her limbs until she felt like her bones had turned to water. She was vaguely aware of Chichiri behind her, dragging her to her feet and taking her by the shoulders, his face radiating concern at her hysterical outburst.

"Mari!" he called to her, shaking her as he tried to bring her back to her senses. She blinked, scrubbing the tears from her eyes to look up at him. "Mari, you have to keep it together. We're not finished here." She turned her gaze to the field, unable to believe the battle could still be raging after Nakago had fallen. The fighting had only intensified, and she watched with a tired sense of detachment as what remained the armies fought on.

"Where are the rest of the Seiryuu?" she asked, looking for Tomo and Ashitare and finding them absent.

"Tamahome ran Ashitare off, and Tomo quit the field when Nakago fell." Chichiri provided swiftly, ushering Mari toward a riderless horse and urging her to mount it. "We should regroup."

"No." Mari growled, feeling her blood stir within her. "I am not running! Not this time." She closed her eyes, pushing her power as far as she could, as far as she ever had, until her entire body trembled with the effort. There, right on the edge, she felt him: Tomo. Insane and quivering in fear as he ran for their hidden camp to cower behind the priestess of Seiryuu.

"Mari, please, you don't have to do this!" Chichiri pleaded, reaching for her, taking her hand in his as he looked at her sadly. "Just come back to the palace." She shook her head viciously, refusing to listen.

"I am not living in fear anymore! I refuse to do that!" she roared, pulling her hand away from his.

"I'll come with you." Tamahome called to her, riding up beside Chichiri. "This is going to end today." Mari reached for Chichiri, hand seeking his cheek as her face softened.

"I'm sorry, Chichiri, but I have a promise to keep." She let her eyes fall closed, resting her forehead to against his. He exhaled a ragged gasp, his hands rising to cup the back of her neck, pulling her face forward to lay a lingering kiss on her lips.

"I won't leave you alone again." he whispered, feeling her nod slightly against him. Without a word, she swung up into the saddle, wheeling her borrowed horse around and darting for the edge of the battlefield, the two warriors hot on her heels as they sought the remaining Seiryuu warriors.

* * *

Panic swelled in Tomo's chest as the horse ran itself aground beneath him, the creature's eyes wide and wild as it crashed to the earth. Its painted rider still lashed it mercilessly as it fell. His own breath came in a panicked wheeze as he tried to stand, scrabbling for purchase as he fled the field. Fled the monsters that had lurked there, tearing them apart.

They had appeared as demons in his eyes. Wispy and dark, fanged and mad as they'd circled the purity of the general, seizing him and wrapping him in darkness as they stole his light. They had killed his lord and master, the horrible creatures tearing apart the beautiful man before his eyes. The half-man's hands ripping his love apart in a haze of smoke and violet light. It had burned his eyes as he wheeled his horse away from the battlefield, sick rising in his throat as his steed tore across plains in a blind flight back to camp.

He had heard them howling as he had ran. He could still hear them now. The hoof beats, the angry breathing. It came licking at him, the fire of the phoenix god on the back of his neck. Terror seized him as he crawled away from his fallen horse. The demons were here. The sky glowed red and the ground rumbled with the displeasure of the gods.

It was the end.

Mari dismounted, watching with a detached quiet as Tomo scuttled backward on the ground before them, his makeup smeared and his eyes unseeing. His pupils darted through the air at creatures that were not there. The insanity in his eyes was sickening, his mouth contorting in a grotesque mou, a creaking groan of defeat tearing from his chest. He was pathetic. No more than a sniveling, wretched creature. A far cry from the cruel, proud man who had once held her captive. It nauseated her, giving her pause as she bore down in him, Tamahome and Chichiri at her back. His hysteria grew as they reached him, fingers tearing at the ground, the long red nails he was so proud of raking up clods of earth. His groans rose into a keening wail that shivered down her spine, setting her teeth on edge. She hesitated as he huddled at her feet, steeling herself for what she was about to do. Chichiri's hand fell to her shoulder, drawing her back as he stepped forward. His staff extended before him, anger and determination commingling on his face. But this was not his revenge to take.

"No Houjun." She softly pulled him back, meeting his confused eyes. "This is for me to finish." She slipped from his side, kneeling next to the mewling mess of man as her strong fingers pried his head up, cradling him in her arms. She looked at him for a long moment, wiping the makeup from his face with her sleeve, revealing the face that haunted her every time she closed her eyes in the dark. His eyes flew wide as she pressed her forehead to his, unable to stop her in his crippling insanity as she pressed into his mind.

She dove inward, breath catching at the psychedelic landscape of his mind. The world had been turned on its head, the sky glowing red and angry above her. The earth shuddering beneath her feet. She could see her own visage as he perceived her in his mind. A slimy, smoggy thing with eyes that glowed with Seiryuu's fire, a lipless mouth of pointed teeth that dripped acid and blood. She hurtled through the nightmare land, chasing him to where he fled. Deeper and deeper, past the undulating chaos until his mind grew still.

It was in the deepest part of him mind that she found him. Nothing more than a small boy with long, dark hair. He was cradled gently in the arms of a glowing man, all blue light and golden shine, his hands stroking Tomo's dark hair.

_"Nakago is dead."_ Mari spoke the words, and the illusion of the general vanished, leaving the small boy alone in the night. He sniffed as he climbed to her feet in front of her, staring up at her with wide, watery eyes. " _No. Not like this. No more games."_ With a twist of her mind, she forced him to change until he stood before her in the form that haunted her. Bare chested, makeup gone, hair hanging a loose cloak around his shoulders. He lifted his head, meeting her eyes, his back straight as he sneered down at her.

_"I'm not sorry."_ His lips twisted, cruel and cold as he loomed over her.

_"Neither am I."_ They dove for each other, twin cries leaving their lips as their minds crashed, twisting around each other. Clawing, biting, scrabbling for purchase as they grappled for the upper hand. She could feel his insanity reeling within him, coating her mind like slime. It twisted around her consciousness, squeezing the air out of her like a snake.

_"Lord Nakago! My love, I will avenge you! I will send you her blood in payment for yours!"_ His keening, high-pitched laughter sliced through her mind, tearing at the edges as she clawed at him, fighting desperately for the upper hand and losing by inches. She could feel her consciousness slipping from her, his insanity too great for her to match. She tried to reach deeper, to pull upon the last of her reserves, but she only came away empty-handed, her world slipping away into darkness as her eyes closed in defeat.

_"I'm sorry. I'm not strong enough."_ Mari closed her eyes, feeling the world slip away from her. She touched something, then. It was just a flicker, a brush on her mind. Softer than a bird's wing. She felt it as it wrapped around her, its warmth slipping into her hand, holding her tightly as the warm glow lit the darkness. _"Houjun?"_ She reached for him, holding on desperately as she felt him materialize under her fingertips, clinging to his strong shoulders in the dark.

_"I won't let you go. I promise."_ he whispered softly to her, gently pushing his life force into her hands, a weapon for her to wield. _"Let me save you, just this once."_ She closed her fists gently around the power, feeling it fill her as tears fell silently down her cheeks. His lips found her, there in the dark, kissing away the tears with a soft smile.

_"I love you."_ The choked whisper fell from her lips as she grasped at his power, pulling deep. She felt something stir, slowly at first, building in the darkness. A small violet spark the roiled and grew into a great blinding light, ripping through the darkness to the swirling horror of Tomo's mind, burning away slowly until nothing remained but a searing violet light.

She bore down on Tomo then, breaking his hold on her. Snapping his consciousness bit by bit as she heard him scream his agony, both within her mind and aloud, clawing at her in a futile attempt to save himself from the fury of her power. With a gasp, she pulled him to the surface of his mind, breaking back through the surface to waking as his eyes snapped open to stare into hers, large and glassy with tears. He struggled under her gaze, his eyes darting violently, unable to move as she held him there, frozen in his own skin.

"You will never harm us again." she whispered, pulling at the last of her power with a vicious twist and watching as Tomo's head fell back in a wordless cry of agony. He convulsed once, violently, before falling limp to the ground, dark trails of blood leaking from his eyes and nose as he bled out on to the ground in front of her. Mari released the last of her borrowed magic, screaming as it left her body in an agonizing rush, her mind raw and burnt from the great power she had channeled through it. She felt the world heave under her, twisting in nauseating waves before she fell, unconscious, into Tamahome's waiting arms.

* * *

_Music: If I had a Heart - Fever Ray_


	41. Requiem for a Seishi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari and Su have a sad.

Tamahome cradled the girl to his chest, desperately checking for her heart beat and finding her pulse fluttering weak, but steady, under his fingers. He let out a sigh of relief, darting a look to the warrior at his right. Chichiri was still now, even though only moments ago he had fallen to his knees, palms pressed to his temples as his face twisted in unexplained pain. Tamahome wasn't sure what had happened, and like many things that had passed since his beloved Miaka showed up, he was going to assume he never would. One minute Mari was holding Tomo, cradling him as gently as a child, the next Tomo was falling to the ground, bleeding out while Chichiri and Mari both collapsed under the strain of something that couldn't be seen with the eye. He wondered silently if he would ever fully understand the powers of Suzaku and Seiryuu.

"'Chiri, can you stand?" Tamahome turned to his friend nervously. "Mari-" Chichiri's head snapped up at her name, pain pushed aside as he crawled to Tamahome's side. "Her heart's beating and she's breathing normally," the boy rushed to assure him. "She's just exhausted from the battle." Chichiri traced a hand down the side of her face, praying softly for the brave woman who had just spilled her soul to him not minutes before.

Over and over, he heard her last words ringing in his head. _I love you._ How he longed to hear those words again. Not in the horrible, infested place that was Tomo's mind, whispered into the darkness with the fear that they would be the last words she would ever share with him. He prayed for her to wake so she could say them to his face, the words falling from her smiling lips. Something beautiful, not the abomination of desperation that Tomo's mind made it seem. He slowly mounted his saddle, taking Mari in his arms as Tamahome lifted her to him, carefully cradling her to his chest as they made their way back to the palace.

With the death of their general, not much held the Kutou soldiers at their post. Mercenaries and miscreants, the men that made up the vicious army were cutthroat, not opposed to trading sides or turning tail midway through a battle. With Nakago's crushed body laying defeated in plain sight, the men had to make a decision: fight to the bitter end and hope to emerge victorious, or run and live to fight another day.

They chose life, leaving the battle in neither victory, nor defeat. They simply stopped fighting. At the death of their leader they turned their backs and scattered, seeds on the wind. Off to spread dissent and vitriol elsewhere. Little grains of pain and anger to turn the world on it's head. Chichiri shook his head at the men streaming away from the battlefield, wondering what they had fought for this whole time. Men who seemed to care for nothing so much as other men's pain and pleading. The opportunity to test their new axe or make a few gold coins. It made his heart sick. He pulled Mari closer in his arms, looking toward the Konan's palace, over the fields of the dead, the dying, the bloodied and wounded, feeling at a loss for all the senseless mayhem.

* * *

Tasuki ran through the field, an orange flash amidst the litter of broken bodies. The soldiers of Kutou fled from him as he searched the battlefield, looking for any trace of Su. Fear rose in his throat as his search dragged on minute by agonizing minute. "Su! Gods be damned, answer me!" He bellowed over the dying battle, tears washing grimy trails down his cheeks in his panic.

_Tas..._ It was a small touch, just the slightest contact, but it was enough.

_You stupid woman._ He sobbed, unable to stem the wave of relief that washed over him as he tried to sound angry. _Where are you?_

_Here._ Tasuki's eyed the field, finding the weak glow of Su's magic. He charged his way toward it, pushing several fallen soldiers away from her as he cradled the girl in his arms, crushing her to his chest as he cried his relief into her matted hair. "Easy, Tas." she smiled weakly, wincing against the pain in her head.

"You stupid, stupid woman! Why did you leave the wall?" he choked, running his thumbs along the side of her face as he looked her over, wincing visibly as his fingers encountered the dried blood in her hairline over her temple. His eyes traced the dark bruise that blossomed from there to her eye, marring her fair skin. "When you didn't answer me I thought... I thought..." He was unable to get the words out, letting his head collapse onto her chest as his shoulders shook under the weight of his relief.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, her hand finding his hair and stroking it gently, patiently waiting for him to collect himself.

"Come on, let's get you back to the palace." he sniffed, helping her to her feet carefully.

"What about the battle?" Su asked, surveying the field and finding it devoid of any real fighting as the last of the Konan armies regrouped, picking off the remaining Kutou soldiers that hadn't fled when Nakago fell.

"It's over." Tasuki breathed. "We won." She felt a great wave of relief overtake her, her legs trembling under her as she sagged against Tasuki's side, exhausted. He gathered her into his arms, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before making their way off of the battlefield for the last time.

* * *

It was dark when Mari opened her eyes again, her head screaming in pain. For a moment, she was afraid she was still lost in the horror of Tomo's mind, trapped in those final moments of battle when her world had begun to go dark. She cried out, frightened. "Shhhh. It's ok." A cool hand reached for hers, squeezing it gently. Mari recognized the tickle of Su's magic as it washed over her skin and sighed in relief, turning to look at her friend. In the dim light, she could just make out the thick bandages covering Su's head.

"You look awful." Mari laughed weakly.

"So do you." Su countered, turning on her small cot to face her friend in the dark.

"Where are we?" Mari asked in a hushed whisper, fighting the pain in her head to sit up and look around. She felt her heart grow heavy as she made out row upon row of bandaged soldiers, trying to sleep in their makeshift beds as the quiet moans of the injured carried in the still air.

"The infirmary." Su provided. "Tamahome and Chichiri carried you in this afternoon. We've been waiting for you to wake up." She watched as Mari's eyes flew wide at the mention of the monk.

"Chichiri, is he..?"

"He's fine. Mitsukake sent him to get some rest." A great sigh of relief left Mari's lungs as she sagged back down onto the cot, her heart in her throat. It was enough for now to know that he was alive. That she hadn't destroyed him in her fight to end what remained of the man who was once Tomo of the Seiryuu.

"And the others?" Part of her dreaded the answer, but she couldn't bear not knowing.

"Nuriko is still pretty badly injured. Mitsukake almost destroyed himself trying to heal him fully. Thank Suzaku Chiriko was there to talk some sense into him." Su smiled weakly, silently thanking fate for seeing fit to spare the boy. "Everyone else is just exhausted, but they're all alive."

"Everyone but Hotohori." Mari choked on the words. She felt hot tears sting her eyes, remembering his dying words as he bled out into her hands. "I let him die, Su." Mari sobbed bitterly, replaying his death over and over in her mind. "I... I let my shield fall. If I had kept it up, if I had held on a moment longer..." Su slipped from her cot, sitting at Mari's side and pulling the sobbing girl into her arms.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault." she whispered to Mari quietly as the older girl broke down, mourning their fallen comrade in the dark of the infirmary. "You can't blame yourself. We both know there was nothing anyone could have done to save him." Su found her own tears falling from her eyes quietly, her heart grieving for the kind man who had given his life in a valiant effort to save them.

The two girls clung to each other in the dark, crying out their sorrow quietly until exhaustion overtook them, folding them once again into a weary, dreamless slumber, their hands still clasped tightly.

* * *

_Music: The Funeral - Band of Horses_


	42. To the Suzaku, Thanks for Everything! Mari and Su

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls each have a choice to make.

The warriors were quiet as they gathered behind their priestess, kneeling on the floor of Suzaku's shrine. They were a motley group, worse for wear after the battle. Exhausted Mitsukake supported a heavily bandaged Nuriko at his side. Tamahome clasped bruised and bloody hands before him, staring through blackened eyes at the woman he loved in her traditional robes at the altar. Tasuki and Chichiri whispered quietly to each other, Chichiri's face still gaunt and shadowed with exhaustion, and Tasuki sporting a purpling bruise across his nose and eyes from a broken nose, his hair singed short above his left ear. Even little Chiriko sported a bruise on his jaw, a reminder of a patient flailing in pain.

Outside the city walls, the dead were being buried. The battlefield was swept by monks, the pervasive aura of death purified from the air. In the hospital wing, patients healed, exercising their weakened limbs as they worked to forget the moment that brought them there. Konan mourned its fallen emperor, holding onto a strange purgatory as it remained leaderless. Though deep in the palace, a woman held a secret that could change the future of the country, keeping it to herself a little while long as she mourned her lost husband in silence.

In the shadows of the shrine, two foreign women clasped hands, keeping watch as the priestess placed the scroll of the Four Gods in the sacrificial fire, calling out the ceremonial words in a delicate voice as she added the Shinzaho of both Genbu and Byakko. The air stilled. A moment passed, then another before the first stirrings of nervous mistrust made themselves known. Without their emperor, their seventh, was it all for naught? Had they failed?

With an exultant cry, the fire flared, glowing red with the power of the beast god as a massive golden phoenix grew from the flames. Stunning in its beauty, the strange creature affected a metamorphosis that left it a pale, handsome man in vibrant red robes, the symbol for Suzaku blazing from a character on his forehead. They were in the presence of a god. Miaka fell to her feet before him, head bowed. The warrior laid themselves flat in obeisance, hearts pounding in their chest at the miracle they had caused in their world.

"Rise, my children. You need not to bow to me." One by one, each of them straightened, head still bowed in deference. Only Miaka lifted her pure, hopeful face to the beast god, eyes wide with respect and awe. "Why have you summoned me, my priestess? Are your enemies not fled or in the ground? Has Konan not come out of this predicament victorious?" Miaka stared at him a long moment, before shaking herself, startled at being spoken to by a god, by this magnetic presence before her.

"Mighty Suzaku, we have thankfully defeated Kutou on the battlefield, though we mourn the loss of life on both sides of the battlefield." She took a deep breath, silently praying that the god would hear her out. "I summoned you with the help of my warriors because... because... there has been so much distress and destruction! This land and its people have been ravaged by war. I can't bear to see what has happened, to see the land torn asunder as it is. We were hoping you could help us fix it."

Suzaku smiled sadly, sympathetic to her little speech. "My child, I fear I cannot bring back the dead or take back the past."

"But isn't there anything you can do? Can't you repair the rift between the two nations in your land?"

"The only way to do that would be to seal Seiryuu away forever. To burn his scroll in my sacrificial fire and to return his priestess to her world." Miaka firmed her shoulders, sticking her chin out as she looked directly into Suzaku's eyes.

"Suzaku, I know my three wishes!" she declared, the phoenix god smiling indulgently at the girl.

"Tell me, child."

"First, I would like the scroll of Seiryuu! I want to destroy it for all eternity, summoning nothing but peace for this land." her face softened, "All the people I've met in my travels deserve a happy life. I only wish I could have asked for it sooner."

"What else, child?" Miaka's face saddened as she gazed up at the beast god once again, tears forming at the corner of her eyes, breaking down her cheeks as she sobbed out her next wish.

"I want my best friend back! I want Yui to come home." She squeezed her eyes shut burying her face in her hands as Tamahome came up behind her, wrapping her in his arms and letting her sob into his chest. Suzaku only smiled sadly at the girl.

"That would mean you both have to go home, Miaka. You would both have to return to your life in your time." Miaka's teary face turned up to the god .

"That's my third wish. Tamahome... can he stay with me?" She looked up at the boy with his arms around her, then back at the god. "Please?"

"I'm sorry, child. You and Yui both must return home to your time. Tamahome must stay here. It's how it's always been done." A fresh burst of tears found their way to the front of Tamahome's shirt as she buried her face against him, horrified at being sentenced to a life of separation. Tamahome excused them from the room, daring anyone to notice the tears in his own eyes as they fled. Suzaku let them go for the moment, his eyes turning to the back of the shrine to rest on the two barely perceptible figures in the shadows.

"You there. Come forward." Su and Mari emerged from the shadows, eyes wide at being called into court with a god. They knelt before the altar, bowing their heads to the floor before sitting back on their heels, gazing up at the celestial being before them. "The foreign girls." His voice sounded amused. "You weren't supposed to be here, yet through some magic, you were pulled into this book as both the priestess were. You fought for my country, my warriors, and my honor. Even you, Seiryuu's child." he intoned, gaze falling on Mari. "You, too, both have a choice to make." The girls glanced at each other, confused at this turn of events. The priestess had her wishes, but they had choices?" You are allowed to choose. Will you stay here, or will you return to your own time?" He sounded curious as he posited the question to them. "You have both proven yourselves, joining my warriors, befriending them, and walking alongside them onto the field of battle. Would you wish to continue on as complement to them? Or do you wish to return to your own time?" Once again their eyes met, each trying to decipher the other's feelings. Su's brow furrowed as Mari raised an eyebrow in question.

"I... I think I want to stay." Su whispered across the silence of the room. Mari searched her friends face, weighing the words carefully. She thought of the people she had met, of the actions she had been forced to take. She turned to the god, her eyes meeting his, unwavering.

"Will I be able to retain my power once Seiryuu is sealed away?"

"Alas, my child, you will not. You powers will be sealed away with the Serpent God forever, and you will be as you were when you were first brought to our world." She lowered her gaze, her heart tightening as she contemplated a powerless future among the Suzaku warriors. A future relegated to the sidelines. The girl who once held the power of Seiryuu, only to have it taken from her in the end. Unable to protect anyone. Useless. She lifted her gaze, her eyes coming to rest on Chichiri. And in his face, she saw her answer laid out for her.

"I can't." Her heart shattered as she spoke the words, but she knew that it was the choice she had to make. This world had visited too many horrors upon her. Laid too much upon her young shoulders. It woke her in the dead of night, crying out as the ghosts of her enemies clawed at her. "Please, My Lord, send me in Miaka's place, let her stay here in my stead with Tamahome."

"Truly, this is what you desire?" Suzaku inquired softly, regarding her thoughtfully, his serene expression unreadable.

"It is." She let a heartbroken smile cross her lips, bravely trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall. "Besides, we three know that no matter what we do, those two will still find each other." She laughed once, harsh and watery, and even the phoenix god could not hide the small smile that crossed his divine face.

"Indeed." He nodded his beautiful head at her, eyes shining. "I will give to time to wish your friends farewell." Su's arms were around her neck before she even had the opportunity to turn around, the younger girl weeping openly as she clutched at her friend.

"You don't have to do this. You can stay here, with all of us! We'll look after you!" she sobbed bitterly, clinging to the fabric of Mari's gown, her tears leaving dark spots on the fine silk.

"Hey." Mari took her by the shoulders, pulling back gently to smile through her own tears. "It's ok. It'll be ok. This is just goodbye for now. Besides, you'll have Tasuki to watch out for. You're going to have your hands full with that one." Su hiccuped at the comment, sniffling into her sleeve.

"Stupid bandit never knows when to stay out of trouble." Su griped weakly, pulling Mari into another tight embrace.

"I heard that." Tasuki muttered weakly, stepping up behind Su to rest gentle hands on her shoulders. Su stepped back, really looking at her friend; at the dark circles under her eyes, her sallow cheeks and heavy shoulders. The older girl had never recovered from her trials in this world. The story had been crueler to her, a vicious tale of pain and learning, not the bittersweet coming of age lesson they had expected.

"This is really it, huh?" Su sighed.

"Yeah. I suppose so." Mari smiled softly, taking Su's hands in hers and squeezing them gently. Su lunged forward a final time, wrapping Mari in a tight hug as she whispered into her hair. "Love you."

"Love you, too." Mari released the girl, letting her move to Tasuki's side, the bandit pulling her gently to his side.

"Take care a yerself, ok?" He held out a hand to her, flashing her a fanged grin as she took it in hers. "Don't want us having to go into that crazy world a yers to save the day." She snorted, returning his grin

"I'll try. Careful for that one. If you don't look out, she'll take over your mountain."

"I'll watch my back." He released her hand, stepping back with Su to stroke her hair as she sobbed quietly into his shoulder.

One by one, the warriors made their way to the dais to say their goodbyes, each tearful farewell leaving her heart more raw than the last, until at last she found herself face to face with Chichiri. He contemplated her silently for a moment, his eye tracing her features, memorizing her face. And then his arms were open, wrapping tightly around her as she flew into them, heart pounding in her ears as she pressed to his slim body.

"I'm sorry." she whispered.

"There is no need." His voice was calm as he ran his hand through her hair, cradling her to his chest.

"I love you, Ri Hojun. I always will." His breath caught in his throat at her words, cracking his resolve.

"And I you." And he knew in that moment that he would carry that love with him long after his body ceased to draw breath in this world. "Forever, I will always love you, Mari." He lifted her face to his, eye shining with unshed tears as his lips sought hers for the last time, his hands tracing her face as he branded every moment to his mind. Committed all that she was for safekeeping in his heart so he could never lose it. All too soon, she broke away, looking at him with sad eyes as she backed away into the embrace of Suzaku.

"I'm ready." And without another word, she was gone.

* * *

_Music: Goodnight, Travel Well - The Killers_


	43. M is for Mae-chan, Who Ran Far Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What, you thought it was over?

And so the scroll of Seiryuu was burnt, Yui's sense of self returning as it turned to ashes. A second tearful goodbye was said between friends before Yui, too, returned to her own time. Miaka remained in Konan, settling into a quiet life with Tamahome inside the city walls. The warriors scattered to the wind once more, and peace fell upon the land.

And Miaka's third wish went forgotten, by all but one.

* * *

A rush of fall air played with Su's hair as she sat in the open window of her cabin, hands busy at work in her lap as she breathed in the cool mountain breeze, shivering happily with the peace it brought her. Her tiny home sat hidden in a ravine by the mountainside, a safe house under the protection of the local bandit lord. It was quiet here, for the most part. Peaceful with the soft winds and flowing waters of the mountain streams. It was what they had all needed.

She paused in her work, staring at the vista before her. Sitting on a rock at the edge of the brook, a young man played the flute, his eyes closed against the mournful tune. The loss of his twin had been hard on Amiboshi during the long months after the war, compiled with the loss of his powers, his general, and his Seiryuu brethren. The mourning process had torn the boy apart, taking him places Su had never seen a human go. Through it all she held onto him, keeping him company in the darkness, knowing it was what Mari would have wanted. These days it was more good than bad. Amiboshi spoke from time to time, smiled more, left his small room in the cabin to venture outside. He had begun to talk about joining the reconstruction of Sairo, wanting to give something back to them for the sins his brother had committed. She hoped he could find some peace in that.

A nudge of questioning tickled her mind, the daily check-in from up the mountain. She sent back a wave of peace along with the gentle melancholy that was watching Amiboshi play his flute and thinking back over the recent past. It was returned with an answering wave of sadness she knew he would be masked from Tasuki's face as he stood among his men. _Are you going to be ready for tonight?_ She glanced at Amiboshi once more, considering the healing man and wondering if he was ready to spend the night alone.

_Yes, but... Do you think you should stay with 'Boshi?_

_I'm not lettin' you go to Konan alone!_ the man scoffed, _'Sides, 'Boshi and these bandits gotta learn to fend for themselves sometime. We have more important things to do_. She looked back at the project in her lap, a string of green and red beads, finally collected after the war.

Su had scoured the courtyard with Nuriko and Tasuki for days, only to come up one green bead short. One stinkin' bead, as Tasuki had said at the time, a scowl on his face. Sitting on the ground beside the courtyard, beads pillowed in her skirt, she had been surprised when a slim hand came over her shoulder, offering up a single green bead.

"Do you think one from my strand would work?" Chichiri's voice had been low and sad. When Su had looked up at him, it had broken her heart to see the gentle hope in his face. They held gazes for a long moment, the pain they each felt in their hearts meeting briefly before he shifted his eye to the ground. She nodded silently, taking the bead from his fingers, adding it to the small pile of glass in her lap.

"Thank you 'Chiri."

* * *

_Music: Gone for Good - Morphine_


	44. Konan Palace Seishi Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old wounds start to ache.

Miaka and Tamahome had settled into a quiet life, living in a small cottage within the city walls. Their marriage had been a lavish affair, a palatial fete that Nuriko had thrown his all into planning after the battle. Another distraction from the pain in his heart. Finding himself without his leader or a position within the court, the once beautiful warrior had stayed on at the palace after the battle, becoming counsel to the newly appointed empress dowager, Houki. Hotohori's legacy had been unsure after the fighting had ended, with no known heirs, no siblings, and no family. Hope seemed lost until Houki had come forward from the palatial harem with a story of a secret marriage which the late emperor's closest royal counselors confirmed, announcing that a royal heir would be expected soon. Nuriko had stepped forward, offering to help Houki raise the child, the two long friends from their days in the royal harem together. Now drawn even closer through the memories of a man they both held so dear in life. Little Boushin was dreadfully spoiled by Nuriko, the warrior loving the child almost as much as he had loved his father.

Su sometimes felt jealous of their tight-knit family. She envied them their friendship. Staying with them just made her think of Mari, long gone back into their world. She hated not knowing what was happening to her. Not knowing how life was unfolding and what adventures she was having. What college was like. She could think of a million questions to ask, and a million things to tell. But that was why she was here. Tasuki helped her off her horse, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss into her hair as they approached the brightly lit cottage.

"I'm sure she'll do it." he murmured into her hair, rubbing his thumb against the back of her neck in a small effort to calm the shivers that were running through her body. She nodded nervously, setting her shoulders as he reached forward and knocked on the door. The woman who answered veritably glowed, despite a fistful of ham sandwich on its way to her mouth and the crumbs clinging to her lips. Her belly protruded before her, appallingly large this close to the expected date. At the sight of the two on her doorstep, Miaka let out a squeal of delight, launching herself into two pairs of arms, almost knocking Tasuki off the porch with her belly as she maneuvered to cling to them.

_Is this what I have to look forward to?_ Tasuki shot a sideways glance at Su, who cast him a warning look as she wiped some errant crumbs fro her shoulder.

"Look who's here!" Miaka announced as she pulled the two of them through the door. Nuriko and Tamahome looked up from their game of cards at the table, grins breaking across their faces as they saw the visitors. Tamahome had changed little after the war; it was Nuriko who drew the longer look. He had taken to dressing as a man now, albeit a very fashion forward man, his once long hair cut short. His one conceit were the long, thick bangs that hung in his face, concealing the burn scars he had obtained at Nakago's death.

"Oi, is this what rich, retired warriors do?" Tasuki asked Su loudly. "Must be pretty fuckin' nice to not have any responsibilities, like camps to run or mouths to feed."

"Oh dear. Who invited our country cousins?" Nuriko mock-glared at the two sitting down at the table, "I dare say we'll have to hide the liquor and women."

"Stop letting Tasuki bait you, Nuriko!" Miaka swatted at the man with a grin. "I want to hear about their adventures!" The friends traded stories into the night, laughing and chatting at Boushin's newest antics, Miaka and Tamahome's latest fight, Nuriko's current beau, Kouji's most recent development in bizarre character traits. It was late when Miaka went to excuse herself from the impromptu party, exhaustion taking precedence so close to the arrival of her first her child. As she stood from the table, Tasuki turned to Su, his voice unusually gentle as he looked at her anxious face and down-turned eyes.

"Miaka, we have something we'd like to ask ya." he started. "Well, Su has something she'd like to ask ya." Lifting her eyes from the table, Su met Miaka's curious gaze, her stomach tying itself in knots. An event that seemed to be happen too often as of late.

"Miaka, I... Well, you see..." she stopped, frustrated already. Shaking her head impatiently, she spit out, "You have a wish left." She could feel the air leave the room as all their minds went back to that fateful day they'd worked so hard to forget. The day that gave them Miaka for a lifetime, but took away the lives of so many. Not giving them the time to dwell, she charged on. "I was hoping you could make a wish for me." Miaka's eyes welled with tears, grasping her hands tightly.

"Of course! You did so much for me. So much for ALL of us." She gave Su a watery smile. "What can I do?" Pulling a soft cloth pouch from the pocket of her long coat, Su laid its contents on the table, the beads sparkling in the low light of the room.

"It's Mari's. I put it back together with a little help from, well, everyone." She cast a small smile at Nuriko. "I thought that, well, I don't know if it will work, but if she has it, maybe we could talk to her. Maybe she could come back, if she ever wanted." Her eyes were welling with tears now, embarrassed as she found herself pulled into Miaka's embrace.

"Of course I'lll do it!" Miaka cried into her hair. "If only I had something I could use to contact Yui..." she trailed off, sniffling, thoughts with her best friend, now long gone.

"Thank you." Su's whisper came almost unbidden. She was so relieved. "Thank you so much." Miaka nodded, coming back to herself and slowly lifting the necklace from the table. The warriors held their breath as a warmth came over the room. Su could have sworn that a red cast affected the candles. Miaka's eye closed as she prepared to incant the brief, simple spell of the beast god. Su closed her eyes as well, praying to every god she could think of that Suzaku would deem this an acceptable wish.

* * *

Classes had been long that day. Mari sighed as she keyed open the door to her apartment, kicking her shoes off before walking to the kitchen. There, oh so innocuous and oh so ominous, was a small, red velvet pouch. Mari put her bag down beside it, warily eyeing the velvet. Had she put that there? She didn't remember it being there that morning. Had Keisuke bought a present for her? She lifted the pouch with careful fingers, gently untying the knot before reaching inside. Her fingers brushed against something, a long forgotten sensation tickling up her hand as she pulled the necklace from the pouch.

The beads glittered in the last of the day's light as she held them up, remembering a day, years ago now, that she had torn them from her neck. There was no way these were the same beads. They couldn't be. It would have taken forever to find them all. And even if someone had, there was no way for them to restring themselves and find their way to her kitchen. She shoved the beads back into the bag, tossing them onto the counter with a sigh, a delicate frown crossing her face.

"Very funny, Keisuke!" she screamed down the hallway, glowering at the man as he poked his head out of his room. "April Fools Day is in April, you idiot. And this is decidedly not funny."

"What are you talking about?" He blinked blankly at her, following her as she fished a heavy textbook out of her bag and flopped down onto their second-hand couch. She ignored him, burying her face in the text. "No, seriously, what did I do?" Mari looked up from her book, leveling Keisuke with an unamused gaze before getting up and reaching for the velvet pouch on the kitchen table, tossing it to him. He opened it, dumping out the beads into his palm and prodding them with an index finger.

"Nice try, you ass." In the entire world, Keisuke Yuuki was one of three people who had any idea what Mari had been through during her time in the book. It was a strange thing. It was supposed to be Tamahome that the universe was rearranged for. So there would be a Taka waiting for Miaka for her sacrifice. But there was no need. Instead, the universe had seen fit to give her Keisuke, Tetsuya, and Yui. They were words made flesh, how she would never know. They had always been there, even though they were impossible. But like their fictitious counterparts, he and his friend Tetsuya had sat in the National Library of Japan all those years ago, halfway around the world, reading from the true copy of the Universe of the Four Gods, following the story of his sister until two foreign girls had landed in the story, shaking it up forever. When Mari had returned, he and Yui had tracked her down, flying her to Japan to live with them for a time after Mari had finished high school. Giving her a place to rest after months of questions and mourning. And for the first time since she had returned to her time, she didn't feel so alone.

It was Keisuke who helped get her through the worst of that first year, passing long nights letting her talk when the nightmares woke her. Helping her track down books on Chinese mythology when the loneliness became too much to bear. He even reluctantly showed her the original copy of the Universe of the Four Gods, holding his breath as she cracked the front cover, and then holding her as she read, for the first time, the full account of her ordeal, tears streaming from her eyes as she traced the illustrations tenderly on the page with a shaking hand.

"Why don't you go into anthropology?" He had suggested one day. "You seem to have a natural aptitude for it. That way you'll never be too far from them." She had taken him up on his suggestion, returning home to enroll in a local university to bolster her grades before transferring to a more prestigious university across the country the following year on a scholarship. She had even spent the past summer in China, scouring the side of a mountain for artifacts as an intern on a dig site. They didn't uncover anything more significant than rocks and broken pottery, and honestly, she didn't know what she had expected to find. The whole ordeal had just left her feeling hollow.

Keisuke had transferred to the States for his graduate program the previous spring, and the two naturally ended up rooming together. Keisuke had moved into Mari's too small apartment without even really asking her first. He simly showed up with a suitcase and a smile and moved into her tiny spare room before she could stop him. Which is how he ended up standing in front of her now, shivering in excitement. "I didn't make this." he whispered, looking at her with large eyes.

"What do you mean, you didn't make this? Who else could have?" She flipped her now long hair defiantly over her shoulder, crossing her arms to her chest.

"Why don't you put it on and ask?" He held it out to her, his excitement barely contained. Mari only frowned, snatching it out of his grasp and balling it on her fist, pushing the tickle of magic to the back of her mind. She had no magic left to her. Obviously she had to be imagining it.

"Because there is no one to ask, Keisuke!" Mari roared. "I made my bed, and now I'm lying in it." She slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor heavily.

"Hey, I'm sorry." he whispered, reaching for her shoulder.

"I know." Mari sighed, staring at him for a long moment before letting it go. "I know it was hard for you to just stand by and watch it all happen, too. I just..." She looked at the necklace, letting her finger trace the too large bead in the center. The bauble was worn and smooth, a dull spot worn into it from a thumb passing over it again and again. "What if it doesn't do anything?" she asked, blinking back quiet tears.

"What if it does?" he countered simply. Keisuke got to his feet, giving her a smile before retreating back to his room and closing the door softly behind himself.

* * *

_Music: Grace Cathedral Hill - The Decemberists_


	45. Houjun Ri and the Last Crusade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mari, Su, Tasuki, and Chichiri have a very strange group chat.

The damn necklace had spent the rest of the night haunting her. She had put it away in her room, hanging harmlessly on the shade of her lamp by her bedside. It could hang there until she decided what to do with it. And it did. It hung there while she did her homework. It hung there while she and Keisuke made dinner, ate, and put the dishes away again. While she left to attend her classes. While she checked her email. While she showered and dressed for bed. While she shut off all the lights in her room and tried valiantly to sleep.

"Damn it!" Mari sat up in the dark, switching on her bedside light as staring at the thing where it had hung silently for weeks, gleaming in the light. She snatched it off the lamp, untying the cord with trembling fingers and roughly slinging it around her neck, struggling to fasten the knot with clumsy fingers."There! Is that what you wanted?" she asked no one in particular, sitting in her bed as she felt the weight of the necklace, familiar after all this time. She listened to the answering silence, straining, hoping for something, anything. Her heart began cracking along old wounds as the seconds ticked by, silent and empty. She threw herself back in the bed, ignoring angry tears as she buried her face in the pillow.

* * *

It suddenly occurred to Su that she was awake, the realization bringing with it a strange, sudden awareness of the ceiling above her bed, the warm hand on her stomach, the tangle of hair in her eyes. She felt as if she had missed something just outside her senses, a faint sound that triggered her body to respond. A footstep outside their window, the whinney of the horses, the whimper of a child in the next room. She strained her ears, holding her breath and waiting. Nothing. "Tas."

"Mnf?"

"Tasuki!"

"What?!"

"I heard something."

"'S nuthin'. Go back to sleep." He pulled her close in an attempt to lull her anxious mind, but she was having none of it, arms and legs pushing him, grumbling, from the warmth of their bed. He slouched to the door in his pajama pants, wiping sleep from his eyes as he called out. "Hello, Mr. Burglar? Look I don't mean ta interrupt yer lootin'. I understand how it is, but I'd really prefer you fuck off and burgle someone else. Ok? Great, thanks."

_Oh my gods, really? Really, almighty bandit leader? You couldn't strike fear into the heart of a jellyfish._

_I'm SO sorry, I didn't really feel like fuckin' chargin' out here to yell at ghosts you heard in the middle of the night, lady._

_Oh. My. God. Get back here, I'm going to positively strangle you. Strangle you until there is no-_ A sudden wave of surprised shock flared in their minds, a startling flashbulb in the closed connection they were used to, quickly followed by another, similar bloom of emotion. It rang like a clanging, heavy bell in her head. A painful concussion of thought and feeling. A loud growl of creative invective came from the next room, followed by quick footsteps and banging doors. Su looked down at her shaking hands, watching as red pooled there before her eyes. She clapped a hand to her nose, stopping the flow of blood.

_Hello?!_ That voice! It was voice that she hadn't heard in six long years. A voice she had been hoping to hear every day since she'd handed Miaka the string of red and green beads. Another voice joined in, then another, and another, a cacophony of questions silently darting through her mind.

_What's going on?_

_Ho- Houjun?!_

_Mae?!_

_Mari?_

_Su?_

_What the fuck is going on?_ Tasuki stomped into the room, hand rubbing at his forehead, face pulled in a frown as he toted a small, grinning, red-haired girl under his arm, her twin brother clinging to the tall man's leg.

_Mari is it really you?_

_This can't be real. How can I hear you?_ In her bed, Mari clutched at the necklace at her throat, eyes staring wide into the dark. She had to be dreaming. She had gone three years without hearing from her friend. It was just too hard to believe that fate, the gods, whatever, would be so kind.

_I- Miaka gave me her last wish. I wished for you to have your necklace back. We all wished for it. We found the beads..._

_Except one?_ Su paused, biting her lip. She had heard Chichiri's voice early in the conversation, but he had been silent since. She wondered what to say as she took the wriggling child shoved at her.

"Da's cussin!" the girl cried gleefully.

"Woke us up." the little boy pouted, rubbing his eyes as he crawled into her lap. Tasuki dropped into the bed, rubbing irritably at his aching temples as he shoved a cloth into Su's hands for her still-bleeding nose. Seeing the conflict on her face, he made the decision for her.

_The odd bead is 'Chiri's_. Mari's heart skipped a beat. She'd thought that had been his voice she'd first heard. In all the time since she'd left Konan, she hadn't felt about anyone as she'd felt about the monk. She had tried. There had been dates, brief romances, but they'd never been, well, they'd never been him. They'd never had his voice, his presence. Each one had ended with a distinctly hollow longing in her chest, leaving her wishing for something that wasn't real.

_Chichiri? Houjun, are you...?_ He couldn't bear to respond, couldn't bear to hope, after he'd heard her call his name. He'd sat there, listening to the snatches of the conversation as something loose and fluttery moved in his chest. Years of wandering hadn't yet lessened the pain for him. T feeling of loss that had plagued him from the moment she'd disappeared from the shrine. He'd given Su the bead from his necklace, knowing the girl's intent, but never daring to hope it would work. He glanced down as something wet hit his hand. With a frown, he raised a confused hand to his face, finding his cheek damp with tears. Could he go through this? Could he hear her, speak to her, but never be able to touch her?

_'Chiri?_ Su tried calling to the monk as well. "Why won't he respond?" she whispered curiously. "He's there, I can feel him."

"He's scared." Tasuki muttered. "Would you want to talk to me if you knew you could never see me or these horrid monsters again?"

"Not monsters!" the small girl protested between yawns.

"Yes, you are. Now shut up, I have to pay attention." _I guess he's ... I dunno, maybe he's nervous, Mari._ He _was_ nervous. Terrified, even. But hearing the bandit say it in his ill-bred speech made it okay. An acceptable thing. A secret between friends. Something to try and best. He firmed his resolve, knowing this would be painful and frightening. That it could end worse than ever, but he had to give in. He couldn't keep his voice, his mind, his heart from her. He had never desired anything more than to give her his everything.

_I'm right here, Mari._ Mari sat in her bed, her body shaking as tears trailed down her face, falling to her hands as they gripped the sheets so tightly her knuckles blanched white from the effort.

_Hojun_. she breathed, unsure of what to say to him now that he was speaking to her. _I... oh gods..._ She let her face fall into her hands, sobbing hysterically as a dam broke inside her. Three years of bitter loneliness spilled forth simply at the sound of his voice.

_I've made you cry again._ It was such a simple statement, but she could feel the cacophony of emotion attached to it. She sniffled inelegantly, scrubbing away the tears she knew none of them could see.

_No. I'm just happy to hear your voices again. I've missed you all so very much._

_We've missed you too._ Su's voice threaded into her mind, heavy with emotion. She could feel Tasuki hovering right on the edge of the conversation, relieved, but unsure what to say.

_I'm gonna go put the monsters back to bed._ The statement was layered with a hint of a chuckle, a carrot dangled to break the tension that Mari eagerly bit.

_Monsters?_ She could almost feel Su roll her eyes at Tasuki.

_It wasn't how I wanted to tell you, but surprise? You're an aunt._

_An... aunt?_ Mari grasped for the words, failing miserably as a surprised chuckle slipped from her mouth.

_Twins._ Tasuki's pride was unmistakable. _We named the loud one after you_. Even Chichiri couldn't suppress a chuckle, his soft laughter reminding them all that he still a part of this strange conversation.

_Mari, I'm going to go help Tasuki settle the children. Why don't you and Chichiri talk for a bit? We can catch up in a little while._ Mari wanted to stop her, but Tasuki and Su slipped away before she could say anything, leaving she and Chichiri alone, once more unsure of what to say.

* * *

_Music: Fire in the Water - Feist_   


 


	46. This is (Almost) the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One last gift before we part.

 

 

 

_Are you happy?_ It was unexpected, the question hanging in the air between their minds. Mari wasn't even sure she had heard him ask it.

"What?"

_Are you happy? In your world?_ Chichiri repeated the question gently, his voice a soft caress in her mind. Back in her world, she contemplated her hands, chewing on her lip as she tried to answer him.

"No." She couldn't bring herself to lie to him. "Some days I think I come close, but most days... most days, no. Are you? Happy, I mean?" There was a pregnant pause, the space between them heavy as she waited for his reply.

_I haven't been happy since you left._

"I'm sorry." Mari fought the tears as they threatened to fall again, choking on them as they caught in her throat. "I just couldn't stay. It was all too much. It hurt so badly. It was so heavy, Houjun! I couldn't stand under the weight of it."

_I would have helped you carry it!_ he pleaded with her, his mind reaching for hers in an effort to cling to something that felt of her, if only for an instant. _I would have carried you if you had only let me!_ She felt his sorrow break free, heard the anguish in his voice as somewhere, too far for her to touch, the monk broke into bitter tears. _Even now, even though its killing me, I still love you!_ Mari cried out into the still air of her room, her heart breaking all over again as she listened to Chichiri weep for her. They sat there in silence, so close and yet worlds apart, unsure whether the entire ordeal was a divine blessing or an unholy torture.

"I love you, too." she whispered against his mind.

_I... I can't do this._ he choked. It hurts too much. _I thought I could, that it would be enough... I'm sorry, but I can't._

"Houjun, please!" Mari pleaded with him, feeling his resolve cracking. "Please don't go, not when I just found you again!"

_Goodbye, Mari._ Mari screamed his name into the dark of the room as the feel of him slipped away, leaving her alone. She heard Keisuke fall out of his bed in the other room, cursing loudly as he threw open her door, rushing to her side as she broke into hysterical tears.

"Shhhhh, it's ok." He cradled Mari against his shoulder and she sobbed into his shirt. "It'll be ok."

_Mari? Mari, what happened?_ Su's voice rang in her mind, panicked at Mari's distress.

"He's gone." Mari cried bitterly into Keisuke's arms as Su's concern washed through her. It was too much.

_Oh gods... this wasn't supposed to happen, Mari. I'm so sorry._ In the following hours before sunrise, Keisuke held Mari in his arms, rocking her gently as she cried her sorrow into his shoulder. All that time, he was oblivious to the silent conversation Mari held with her long-lost friend, the two girls clinging desperately to a shared thread across two worlds. Taking what small comforts they could in each other's voices as they spoke of their lives, trying to dull the pain of the distance.

Su told Mari of the past six years of reconstruction in her new home. About the birth of Boushin. Of Miaka and Tamahome's first son, Saihitei, and the second child that was on the way. Of how the the bandits of Mount Reikaku fared under Kouji's leadership once Tasuki had stepped back to be a father, and Nuriko's new position within the palace. Of Chiriko's initiation into government office and Mitsukake's thriving clinic in the city. Even of Amiboshi's journey to Sairo. Mari, in turn, shared news of the mundane life in the world Su had left behind. About college, and life with Keisuke. About her summer in China. About her strange new-found family in Keisuke and Yui, and how she took up studying swordplay to fill the void left by her lost magic.

Eventually, the hour and the emotion overwhelmed them both, and the two girls trailed off in their own beds mid-conversation with sleepily whispered promises to speak again in the morning. Keisuke gently untangled himself from Mari, tucking her into her small bed and giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. He didn't consider himself a religious man, but he couldn't recall ever praying harder for anyone's happiness in his life as he did for hers before turning her light out and softly closing her door.

* * *

Mari woke to a bright light piercing the back of her eyelids, groaning with the effort of stirring herself awake, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She assumed she had fallen asleep with her lamp still on, groping blindly for the switch and stilling as she felt a warm hand grasp her own. With a gasp, her eyes flew wide, her mouth falling open as she took in the last person she had ever expected to meet after returning to her world.

"Hello, my child." Seiryuu smiled softly at her, holding her hand gently in his. Mari felt fear grip her chest as she stared at the beast god she had betrayed those years ago. She had fought for his mortal enemy, killed his warriors assisted Miaka in making sure he would never be able to be summoned into the world again. But here he was., smiling at her. It certainly threw one for a loop. She couldn't do much beyond gaping at the god, surprise compounding as a chuckle fell from his lips. "You seem shocked to see me, Mari."

"Forgive me, my lord, but I never expected to see you again. And I never presumed you would be happy to see me again." She lowered her eyes, swallowing nervously.

"Well, my child. It has been a long time for me." He smiled sadly. "I've come to understand your work with the Suzaku. I didn't choose the best leader for my warriors. Nakago was strong, but troubled." She nodded, playing with the beads at her throat with her spare hand. Despite his words, being in the presence of the god made her nervous. She watched as he tilted his head, considering her with his calm blue eyes. "You know, Mari, not any one person is wholly good or wholly evil. None of us are pure. I was sad to see you harmed and tortured in my name. There was a time where you may have chosen my side, but," his eyes reflected the sorrow he claimed to feel, "it wasn't then. Not with the warriors that had come to serve me in that time. Their lives were too troubled. Life had been too unkind to them. The universe too cruel." He shook his head sadly. "But, that's not truly what I came to talk about. I wish to make amends, my child. There is little I can do being locked away as I am, but there is one small thing I can do. It pains me to see you so sad, lonely as you are in this world. Your copy of Universe of the Four Gods. The one that your friend followed into the story of the Suzaku priestess in. I've revived its magical powers. I've once again reactivated the gate between the two worlds."

"You mean I... I can go back?" Mari felt her heart leap at his words.

"If you wish, my dear." His eyes glowed as she felt a bewildered smile cross her lips. "And if you get there, and it's too much, you can always return to your present."

"How?" Seiryuu shrugged an elegant shoulder, a secret smile lighting his face.

"Taitsukun is not the only one with magical powers that span the two worlds." She couldn't help it, she threw herself into the god's arms, burying her face in the front of his robes.

"Seiryuu I... I can't even begin to thank you." She felt the tears flow down her face as he wrapped elegant arms around her, holding her close.

"My child, it is the least I could do for what you suffered at the hands of my people. I will be ever sorry. I can only hope this small token of my apology is enough to right your life, and that some day you might come to understand why I have done what I have." He placed an icy kiss on her forehead, letting her go. "May your journey be in happiness going forward." Without warning, he faded back into the light, letting Mari's mind fall back into a deep sleep, her lips quietly curling into a small smile.

* * *

Chichiri threw back the covers of his bed roll, giving up on sleep as the first rays of light pierced through the canvas of his tent. Rest had eluded him after he'd torn the necklace from his throat, plagued by the voice of the woman who was separated from him by unfathomable miles and more years than he cared to count. His head ached with the tears that had fallen throughout the night, his mouth dry and eyes gritty with his sorrow.

He thought he'd shed all his tears for Mari years ago. On the road, helping where he was needed, committing his life to hard work and a harsh life, he'd tried his best to forget her if he couldn't be happy. The absence was always there, but the exhaustion kept the sorrow at bay. Over the years, he learned to live with it, the occasional twinge of sadness only coming when he found himself thinking she would enjoy a view, a song, a story. When he saw a woman who reminded him of her, happy and laughing. When he played with her ginger-haired namesake.

Hearing her voice the previous night had brought her closer to him then she had been in years, but she had felt further away than ever. The tears in her voice, the knowledge that she had been unable to stay, the memory of her suffering in this world. It tore at him, rending his heart with a million tiny pieces. He'd reached out to her, only to feel her distance more acutely than anything else. He couldn't do it. He couldn't hear her voice in his head, feel her so close to his heart, and know that he would never touch her again. Never hold her. He'd tugged his beads over his head, casting them to the far corner of the tent as he fell to the bed roll, wracked with harsh, rough sobs. He couldn't bear looking at them now, carefully wrapping the necklace in a spare shirt and tucking them to the bottom of his rucksack before crawling outside. He stood, stretching his arms above his head, seeking to pop the knots out of his back, when he heard a sound behind him.

"Houjun?" He drew in a shaky breath, closing his eye. It couldn't be. It was a cruel prank, a trick of the ear. Anything. He was dreaming. His heart pounded as he slowly turned. She had grown up a bit. Her hair was longer now, loose dark waves falling past her shoulders, framing her face as her striking blue eyes shone out in the gloom of the forest. She walked slowly toward him, and he noted a new grace about her. A calm confidence that hadn't been there before. He stood still, breath tight in his chest as he feared that any movement, any sound would destroy the perfect illusion he saw before him. She reached him, stopping just a few steps away from the man who was staring at her as if she was the only thing he had ever wanted, could ever need in the world. "I came back." It was just a whisper, but it was all he needed. Chichiri took two quick steps forward, a sob rising from his throat as he seized her in his arms, pulling her close. He kissed the tears from her cheeks, her eyelids, capturing her lips over and over.

"Don't ever leave me again."

"I won't."

"I promise, I'll carry you." he whispered to her, pressing his forehead against hers. She smiled softly at him.

"We'll carry each other."

* * *

_Music: You Will Be Waiting - Barenaked Ladies_  


	47. Epilogue - Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happily ever after... until the sequel.

"Im'ma getchu Kouji!" A door banged open somewhere in the house, shrieks ringing through the walls over the sound of running feet.

"Nooooo, MaeMae! I'm gonna tell mum!"

"Don't be a stinkin' tattletale!" Su groaned, letting her head flop back onto pillow as Tasuki buried his face in her neck with a frustrated growl.

"Goddamn monsters." He rolled onto his back, scowling at the ceiling. "Never a fuckin' minute of peace 'round here." Su chuckled at the man's obvious consternation at their momentary distraction being pulled to an inevitable close.

"It's probably for the better. Mae and 'Chiri should be getting here around noon, anyway." She slapped a frisky hand away from her with a bemused look before a sudden silence in the next room caught her attention. "What do you..?" she was cut off by Kouji's quiet little voice as he protested the actions of his bolder sister.

"Maaaaaaaeeeee, Mum said you can't play with Da's tessen! You're gonna get us in trouble. Again." Su glared at Tasuki as he grinned wolfishly by her side.

"You better get that from her, Tas"

"What's the worst that could happen?" he shrugged. "She acts like she's gonna summon flames and scares Kouji? Let 'er play."

"And if she burns down our perfectly good house?" Su asked. "She summoned sparks from it last time you let her play!" Tasuki was considering her point when the shout rang out.

"REKKA-" He darted from the room, and in the other room Su could hear her daughter whine her disappointment. "Aww, no fair!"

_Thank you..._

_'Course. Can't have our bandit-lord-to-be burning the house down around our ears._ Su laughed to herself as she rose from her bed, pulling on a dark cotton shift. She heard the door creak behind her and turned to see her son standing in the doorway. His red hair stuck out at all angles from sleep, ridiculously incongruous to his very serious face.

"Mum. MaeMae tried to barbeque me again!" Su scooped up the child as she swept out of her bedroom door. The twins were getting a little too big to carry, but Kouji cuddled up to her anyway.

"Well, that's because your sister is brasher and bolder than half the bandits on this mountain. You just have to ignore her and she'll stop." Kouji sighed, used to the lesson. "Now, you want to help me get ready for your Aunt Mari and Uncle 'Chiri to come over?"

* * *

They'd been traveling for over a fortnight from Sairo, and Mari's bones ached in the saddle. She looked over at Chichiri as he rode beside her, and he met her gaze with a small smile, anticipating her excitement as they eased their animals over the secret bandit trails of Mount Reikaku. It had been two years since she'd returned to him that bright spring morning, approaching him as she stepped out of the woods in little more than a dress and bare feet. Standing before him like a mirage. But then she'd been in his arms, and he'd known she was real and that she was back, and that he would do every last thing in his power to make sure she never felt the need to leave again.

They'd spent the last two years traveling, Mari's interest in the countryside and history of Konan piqued by the classes she had begun in her time. They'd swept from town to town, visiting the warriors exploring ancient ruins, helping where they were needed. A life on the road wasn't always comfortable, but it was an adventure. Regardless of where they bedded down for the night, they always had each other less than an arm's length away. Mari wouldn't have it any other way.

"Are you excited to see that terrible child they named after you?" Chichiri smiled at her as she gasped in mock outrage.

"How dare you profane her in such a way! She is a perfect angel!" She watched in delight as he laughed easily with her, her heart light as she considered the man before her. The past two years had taught her much about him. He never ceased in his willingness to shoulder her nightmares, her fears and worries. To fight with her to keep their world a good place. He'd taken her to Kutou, waiting patiently outside the city limits as she walked the rest of the way to Amiboshi's house, spending a long afternoon catching up with the boy. Amiboshi had come a long way since the last days of the battle, but the very mention of Chichiri still brought a cold ice to his eyes. She was careful to avoid the subject, choosing to dwell on his work repairing the sins that his brother had committed in Seiryuu's name. She knew in her heart that the beast god would be proud of his last remaining warrior.

"Speak of the devil." murmured the monk, pointing ahead to the entrance of the ravine their friends called home. Two little red heads bounced up and down on the path, small hands waving frantically in the air as they drew close.

"Auntie Mae! Uncle 'Chiri!" the children trilled, running up to meet their horses. Chichiri slipped from the saddle, ruffling Kouji's wayward hair with a grin as he scooped up the boy so he could reach up to pet the horse. Mari rode on, leaning down to grab her namesake's hand as she swung the little girl up into the saddle, galloping off toward the house as she squealed in excitement. Slipping out of the saddle at the front of the house, she left little Mae on horseback, letting her ride the animal around to the corral where Tasuki was putting water in a trough. She waved at the man, chuckling as he swept the little girl from the saddle and onto his shoulders.

"Oh dear. You appear to have fallen victim to a vicious horse rustler." Mari turned as a dry voice spoke behind her. "I hear she's the daughter of an infamous bandit lord." Mari smiled as Su came up behind her, the two women watching as Chichiri led his horse down the path with little Kouji seated on the saddle. Su took her hand, meeting Mari's eyes in the honeyed light of the afternoon. "Welcome home, Mae."

* * *

 

_Music: Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros_  

 


	48. Post Credit Scene!

The girls lay on their backs by the small river behind the cottage in the mountains, staring up at the stars as they talked softly into the dark."What do you miss most, Mae?"

Mari thought for a minute, pondering the question. "Hot showers. Electricity. Modern medicine. You?"

"Tacos." Su whispered the word like a benediction.

"Tacos?"

The once-younger, now older girl nodded, eyes narrowing at the stars. "I would kill somebody for a taco."


End file.
